Visitations
by CrazyRayRay113
Summary: After escaping their unenviable captivity, Loki and Naomi parted ways with a promise: this isn't goodbye. Loki will do anything to keep it. Naomi is just trying to hold things together in a world gone mad. But Asgard's dungeons breed demons not easily shaken and life, as it were, is pulling apart at the seams. Freedom isn't all that they hoped it would be.
1. Chapter 1

"Tell me again."

"I've already told you everything. What exactly do you think I've left out?" Naomi felt like she was wasting air even asking.

Not even two days since coming home and S.H.I.E.L.D. had come knocking on her door looking for answers. Their debriefing felt more like interrogation and they spared no expense with this perfectly square, perfectly gray, empty room that contained one metal table, one overly bright light, and one very unsympathetic man in a tailored suit. Their concern was not the state of her health; they were purely invested in national security. And enforcement and logistics or whatever the hell the acronym stood for. So naturally her sappy sob story wasn't what they wanted to hear. Her tale of woe was mostly white noise to them, but she might have noticed a visible reaction when she mentioned her God of Mischief.

From what she recalled of the attack on New York, Loki surely ranked high on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s most wanted list. She almost saw her interrogator's eyes roll behind his sunglasses as she briefly indulged him in their whirlwind romance. This guy, agent something-or-other had her pegged, the moment she was escorted in, as some sort of damsel in distress. By the end of the story, he'd probably relabeled her as one of those crazed women who intentionally marry serial killers. Whatever. She'd rather that than a damsel in distress.

"Forgive me if I find your story a bit backward," he continued with no remorse whatsoever. "You keep telling me that Thor, one of our Avengers, kidnapped you. And Loki, a mass murderer, is the one who saved you."

Oh yes. Wasn't that shocking? "Would you rather I lie?"

"Tell me again."

Naomi grumbled. "Thor kidnapped me. I was locked up and left to starve in a dungeon for months. Loki is the only reason I am alive. He nearly gave his life to save me. And if that's not definitive enough for you, then I don't think there's anything else worth saying."

"So Loki has been freed."

"He's no longer locked in a cell if that's what you're asking."

"Should we be expecting to see him anytime soon?"

Naomi sat back in her chair. This isn't goodbye. Loki's cool tone rushed over her, standing her hair on end. I'm going to miss you so much. But not for long. It was hard to smother a telling grin. See you soon. "He's no threat to you, if ever he does. But I'll never convince you of that." Not that it mattered. Loki would return for her and they would be together. And nothing else mattered. Naomi unfolded her arms and stood. "If your favorite thunder god meanders through anytime soon, ask him about what happened in that dungeon and he'll fold real easy."

"That will be all, Miss Scott."

The stiff abruptly stood, tucking the pile of paperwork beneath his arm. "Naomi," she gruffly corrected as the tamper-proof door to the outside finally opened, flooding the room with fluorescent light from the hall.

"We'll be in touch."

Naomi offered a half-assed nod in reply before he disappeared. "Yeah. I bet you will."

...

Six months later and nothing had changed.

She could remember oh so distinctly, locked in a dungeon, more than certain she would die there, wishing things could be normal again. And by normal she had envisioned home as it was years before her abduction. Normalcy as she had always known it. But she'd realized months ago she had only reached a new sad state of normalcy. Some things never change. But other things always do.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"Have I ever wanted to talk about it?" she returned, her focus on the doodle-covered notepad in her hand.

The old woman cleared her throat and Naomi took the hint. "The reason you are here," the wretched psychologist rasped, "is to address these issues so that you can move on and feel better and have a normal life again."

Naomi set down her pen with as much civility as she could manage. "I was raped by aliens," she spitefully alluded. "My potential for a normal life is waning, to say the least."

Try as she might to get under this lady's skin, she was as stoic as a rock. Her calm exterior might have been helpful to her other patients, but to Naomi it was simply a weekly irritation she could have lived without.

"Naomi," she began, in so concerned a tone she almost sounded sincere. "You would not have come here if you didn't want to be helped." She raised a hand when Naomi would have interjected that this was all her mother's idea. "You have suffered an unbelievable trauma and you are plenty smart enough to know that things like that don't just disappear. Post-traumatic stress disorder is a serious condition."

"I know," Naomi interrupted, turning abruptly back to her drawing, but it suffered from her shaking hands. She knew about panic attacks. She knew about that nauseating turn of her stomach when someone so much as grazed her skin uninvited. Paranoia and anxiety was nothing new to her. Fear was nothing new to her. I just need a little more time.  
"You're a strong woman, Naomi, but everyone hits their limit. The media, the government, the reappearance of your family, it's a lot for any person to handle. I know it would help if you talked about it. If not to me, then someone."

"Look, I know this is your job to say this stuff, but none of this is going to help me." Her tone sounded far more defeated than she had intended.  
"Have you spoken to him recently?"

Loki. She glanced back at the doodle in her lap. Even when the pen seemed to mark the paper of its own volition, his face would appear. Sometimes it was just his hands, other times it was the knotwork pattern of the ugly yellow spell that lingered on the glass between them, but more often than not, one of his grim expressions would emerge from her scribbles. How long had it been since he'd last paid her a visit?

In the beginning, he would appear as often as once a week. And he smiled like a loon every time he managed to startle her into dropping something. Broken dishes aside, she cared about nothing but his smothering embrace as he swept her off her feet. Those days were her favorite. She could smile again as the horrors of her captivity were erased. Every worry faded until she finally felt safe again. She felt his fingers twined into her hair, knotting at the back of her neck. His lips were a soft reminder against hers that everything would be okay. You've missed me, my little mortal. She remembered him grin at her wandering hands. If I had to guess, I'd say you've missed me too. His bright green eyes were a promise of everything she'd ever wanted. No doubt. He loved her. She knew that. But that was a long time ago.

It had been almost a month since Loki's last appearance. But even before that, his visits had grown infrequent. And given that, every day felt a little worse than the one before it.  
"No," she finally replied.

"It isn't healthy for you to obsess over someone who might not come back."

"He will," Naomi snapped. "He will come back."

"Who are you trying to convince?"

She glanced down at her half rendered image of him. Her drawings smiled less and less it seemed. "No one." She packed up her things, noting with another sideways glance at the clock that freedom was close enough at hand.

"You should take an art class." Naomi eyed her skeptically. "You're very good and it seems to be a useful outlet for you. Maybe it would help take your mind off things, if you gave it a chance."

Naomi was already on her way out. "Thanks for your help."

It had become a programmed response just like so many others. Though not as transparent as the I'm fine she offered regularly. Fine was a lie in and of itself. But it was a lie she told well. Like a forced laugh or a put-upon smile. Ever since her family had fallen apart, her day-to-day life had been fine. And for a long time, she'd been content to be just fine forever, until a long few months in a cell changed everything. It had been both a prison and a sanctuary and as often as she had horrible flashbacks and nightmares, she missed it.

She missed waking up and knowing Loki was there – knowing that there was nothing in the world more important. She missed spending entire days with him, whiling away the hours with stories and endless conversation about anything and everything. She missed silly things like singing obnoxiously to get on Loki's nerves and assaulting the glass every morning to wake him up. She missed mini food fights and small showings of affection. She missed having the only goal every single day of coping with her attack and learning how to get close to someone again. Loki made it easy. But the outside world was not so kind.

Not by a long shot.

The media had been the most merciless by far. Even as she escaped the office and stepped out onto the mostly desolate street, she was scanning for news trucks. It surprised her how inconspicuous they could be, considering their telling paint jobs. But she'd learned how to spot them almost too well.

When the press got wind of her miraculous return after spending months in captivity on another planet, she was getting calls from TV shows she'd never even heard of asking for appearances and exclusive stories. In the first few weeks, the paparazzi were sitting on her doorstep and curtains did not exist to keep out the constant flashing of cameras. In spite of never speaking to anyone, her picture was everywhere labeled as an alien abductee that had been returned to sender. And they speculated until even she had begun to wonder what actually happened.

Eventually things died down and she assumed S.H.I.E.L.D. finally managed to get the whole thing under wraps. It was the only time their Area 51 way of doing things had ever benefitted anyone. Even still, there were always weird looks aimed in her general direction and people would never stop asking questions, so she kept an eye out to say the least.

Fortunately, the short walk to the bus stop was uneventful and the bus ride home even less so. Small mercies. However, the extra cars in her already crammed driveway were enough to rouse a subtle sigh. Every day it was heavier, like rebuilding the fort walls for impact. She stepped inside, always hopeful to be met with an age-old silence, but the clatter of dishes in the next room was unmistakable.

"Is that you, Naomi?"

"Still my house, mom," she intoned with a telling lack of emotion.

Her mother still came around the corner smiling, soapy pot in hand. "No need to be smart. I thought it might by Evelyn. She's been outside watering your plants that have been a bit neglected of late."

"What would I do without you?"

"Well, clearly you'd have dead plants." Her mother laughed at her own valiant attempt at a joke, while her hands still absently scrubbed. Is that even my pot?

"Oh, not a chance!" Evelyn announced from the back door. "Naomi has the greenest thumb on Earth. The plants are simply depressed that she's barely home anymore."

"Hilarious Evie. You're on spring break already?"

"Nice to see you too, sis." Evelyn slung an arm around her and landed a sloppy, wet kiss on her cheek. "And I'm actually a week early. There was some sort of water main break in the dorm rooms."

"Sounds like fun."

"How was therapy, dear?" her mother cut in.

"Nothing worth reporting." Neither was it worth complaining about since it got her out of the house for an hour.

"How many pictures of your madman did you draw this time?" Evelyn was immediately fishing through her bag before she could stop her. And in record time she'd produced her notepad and was already flipping through the doodles. "Handsome as always," she noted with a devilish smirk. "Though a tad grimmer than usual. He really ought to smile more often."

Ain't that the truth.

"You're not still speaking to him are you, Naomi?" Her mother always made it sound like she was accepting interstellar collect calls from an inmate. More likely, she considered him a bad habit to be dropped. "Sometimes I swear you're trying to make matters worse for yourself. You know the media finds out about everything and next thing we know they'll be banging on the front door again, wondering why you're aiding a fugitive."

"Mom, Loki is not a fugitive-"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. left another message for you," she continued. Naomi grumbled. "They'd like to meet with you again. That can't be about nothing, Naomi."

"Of course it's about nothing. All they do is pester me about shit I've already told them."

"Language, sweetheart." She turned and went back into the kitchen, conversation abruptly ended as usual. "I'm going to start dinner in a few minutes, if you girls would like to help."

Naomi stared at the ceiling through her eyelids. She hadn't indulged in so many home-cooked meals since she was a kid. Although, of late she was craving horribly processed microwave meals eaten in the comfort of silence. Or small meals shared through a pane of glass.

She took her notepad back from Evelyn, who offered a purely sympathetic look. "She's just looking out for you." Naomi scoffed. "Come on. We all are. After what happened, not knowing what happened to you, not being able to do anything for months – you can't blame her for being overprotective. For being a mother."

Naomi almost felt guilty. But then she remembered sitting in this very room six months ago, telling her story – explaining in depth how Loki had nursed her back to health, offered his life for her to escape, and ultimately vowed to protect her like it was some God-given directive. While her sister practically swooned and her father couldn't help but respect the man who'd killed her rapist, her mother seemed to sidestep the whole thing on account of the fact Loki was a criminal. There had only been one visit when Loki had crossed paths with her parents and without introductions, they'd known. Tall, dark, and handsome as Evelyn had addressed him, clearly wasn't the alien they'd expected, but she caught her mother's filthy looks regardless.

On the nights when she hated the world most, she was sure that S.H.I.E.L.D. had tipped her mother off to Loki's attempt at galactic conquest just to get on her nerves.

Assholes.

Evelyn still looked sympathetic, no doubt as Naomi's expression fell with her train of thought. "Look, I'll talk to her," Evelyn tried. "I know you could really use your space, now more than ever. I make no promises, though. You know how she is," she added with an eye-roll and half a smile. But Naomi only half heard her peace offering. She remembered the wave of emotion that nearly drowned her when her family had first embraced her after so long. While she was busy surviving, they could do little more than wait. She would never know what it was like for them to feel so helpless in her absence, not knowing if she was alive or dead or if they would ever see her again. She should be happy. She should be extremely grateful that by some miracle a large part of her old life had recollected. It was everything she had wished for. So why am I still unhappy?

The answer was out there. But all she could do was wait and hope that one day soon she would see him again.

* * *

There you have it my wonderfully patient readers! It's only been four whole years, but we made it! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and I hope you're excited for more! Please send me your comment and reviews and tell me what you thought! Can't wait to share the rest of this story with you! And because adult life necessitates making money, I'm adding a totally shameless plug. I'm an artist and a sculptor, but it's hard to make it full-time job. But every little bit of exposure counts so if you're interested please check out my instagram (simplyrachaelart), facebook(Simply Rachael), etsy (simplyrachaelart), or website (simplyrachael{dot}com)! Thank you! Can't wait to hear from you guys! All my love! And happy reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Loki regrouped, adjusting his armor and brushing off the most grime it had amassed in years. He had never been one to dirty his hands in anything, although only in the most literal sense. He was by nature a silent observer, but nonetheless a killer. He had been raised same as his brother to be a warrior and while the heavy wielding had never been his forte, he rivaled anyone in lethality. Armed with tactical intelligence, sei∂r, and for this particular occasion an array of specialized throwing knives, he still looked every bit the political figure, but no one lived long enough to see otherwise.

For once, he couldn't blame Thor and his boisterous antics for the failure of yet another diplomatic endeavor. Even under a white flag of truce that oaf certainly knew how to make a mess of things. The Allfather had tasked them with clean up; rebellious crowd control. And somehow he thought Loki's silver tongue served a purpose where Thor's brawn was making adequate headway. The seemingly endless hoards of marauders they'd been collecting across the realms had no interest in negotiating. They were content in their pillaging as they had been since the destruction of the bifrost almost two years ago. They delighted in death and destruction about as much as Thor did. So the mess they'd made of Vanaheim was no surprise at all. _Just like old times._

He scanned the mountainous landscape again. In a glance, he'd once more accounted for the surviving Einherjar, Lady Sif, the Warriors Three, and Thor. The latter was hard to miss given the bright red mantle and the cacophony of destruction in its wake. They had been outnumbered from the start, but as ruthless as their adversaries seemed to Vanaheim's civilian population, they were only looking for trouble, not war. And trouble they could manage.

Loki had all but plotted his next course of attack when another large _bang_ set his ears ringing and the cottage nearest him went up in flames. He heard another three after that, both nearer to Thor's position. And all were followed by the sound of shattering glass and triumphant shouts. Three, horned individuals appeared in his periphery, earnestly fueling the newly made fire. Loki cleared his throat, brandishing one of his daggers from its keep. "Gentlemen." They glowered in his direction like they'd been somehow insulted, but they were shortly unimpressed and laughed at his challenge as they approached.

Brutish creatures, Loki thought, admiring their oversized horns as they were leveled in his general direction. They were stocky and slow and undoubtedly heavy. Exploitable. He reversed his grip for maximum downward force. He stood his ground as they charged, until the first had loomed just close enough for him to snag his curved horn and vault onto his back. Maximum downward force. One clean wound before hopping to the next. The next one ate dirt before suffering the same fate. The last managed to slow itself to a stop before reaching a similar slaughter, but only in time to find a tiny blade already sailing towards him. Loki did not miss.

 _At least make it a challenge for me._

Another loud bang and the commotion to follow. As the dust settled once more, he pried his blade from the fallen marauder's face, flicking off the blood before stowing it away. But his hand tightened on the handle when he noted someone else in his periphery. Loki could all but smell brazen on him. And sei∂r? Loki straightened, his expression completely cool and collected as he acknowledged his more promising adversary. He looked unassuming enough, modest height and build, close-cropped, brown hair, and no visible weapon. But there was Vanir magic in his eyes and something else equally dangerous.

"If it isn't the lesser prince of Asgard. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Loki said nothing, his expression unwavering as he continued his analysis. Every twitch, every sideways glance, every nuance spoke of determination and overconfidence. "Rurik Anskarson." He offered his hand even across the large distance between them. His grin only blossomed when Loki didn't move. "And here I thought the silver tongue would be a man of more words." He approached with measured steps, clearly aware of Loki's calculating stare. "I had hoped I might meet you one day. Even though the Allfather didn't speak very highly of you." Loki quirked a smile. The Allfather's name wasn't dropped lightly. And if not in reverence, more than likely in desperation. "And yet, here you are – at the mercy of the free world."

Loki's attention had already worn down. He sheathed his blade and half turned in search of something else to do, but he could feel how it riled him. He could feel the energy surge in a way that stood his hair on end. It was admittedly unsettling. He took one bold step forward, before Loki struck, blade flying and pinning him to the tree behind him by his hand. He made one loud yelp and then bit his tongue, his seething gaze meeting Loki's again. "Tread carefully, _Odinson_ ," he growled, yanking on the blade stuck deep in the bark. "I came only to offer fair warning. Refuse me and you will shortly regret it!" Loki was already heading back the way he'd come.

His words echoed longer than they should have. Meaningless coming from another nameless marauder. Well, not quite nameless. His sei∂r was different and it lingered with him far more than his name. He was out of place. While his intentions were made slightly clear by that warning of sorts, Loki couldn't help but stir. There was another explosion, another house up in flames. Closer this time. He'd long tired of these battlefields. But then there was a scream to interrupt his train of thought. A shrill noise that stood his hair on end. Not uncommon in an environment wrought with noise and chaos and death. " _Someone please help me!_ " But his stomach knotted uncomfortably. Just another casualty. " _Let go of me. Someone, please help!"_

 _You didn't do anything. You just stood there._

Even before she'd invaded his mind again, he was stalking towards the sound. He had her weapon in hand long before he'd forced his way into one of the few homes not on fire. A young Vanir and a marauder with a filthy grin, large hands clamped onto her wrists. Loki's vision momentarily blanked as he surged forward, the very sharp, very blunt end of an unorthodox weapon punching holes in a man whose face he didn't see. He didn't need to. _How could I ever forget?_

Loki finally tumbled out of his fog as he took a fair enough hook to the face, coming from someone who'd been thoroughly stabbed. He scurried back to his feet just in time to dodge the next blow. Loki turned the tables again with relative ease, slithering behind him and bracing a hand on either side of his head before ending his life with a decisive snap. But he wasn't offered a second of relief before he heard the quiet but compounding beeps that had gone unnoticed prior to the last loud bang. The motions that followed were barely in the realm of consciousness as he scooped up the woman he'd barely rescued and charged towards the exit. For his efforts, they were both thrown out into the street before the last of the houses went up in a large plume of smoke.

He couldn't do much but lay there and breathe for a moment, in spite of the young lady that was half conscious on top of him. She rolled off of him as the ringing in his ears began to subside into relative silence. With the exception of a pair of heavy footfalls headed this way. He sighed. They were too casual to be attackers. "Remarkable isn't it? I never took your brother for the heroic type." _Fandral._ Loki felt a large shadow cast over him that could only be Thor and he was quickly on his feet again with as much grace as he could manage. It wasn't much where Thor was concerned.

Thor helped the young woman to her feet and ushered her off, fortunately failing to acknowledge Fandral's taunt. But the look of sympathy he leveled Loki's way made the whole thing worse anyway. Fandral half laughed, eyeing Loki's _other_ handiwork. "Still not above impaling, I see."

Loki rolled his eyes. "Am I to assume by your presence that you've finally gotten things under control?"

"Indeed. The battle is won. The lot of them came to their senses with a rather abrupt surrender. All that remains is to collect the prisoners and assess damages."

"They will be remarkably minimal all things considered," Loki noted. "Aside from a few less buildings, I would say most of the civilians were successfully evacuated before the chaos even started."

"What a bizarre weapon."

Loki's head snapped around, immediately finding the blood marred, metal pen in his grasp. He must have lost it during the explosion. Fandral inspected it like a war trophy, but Loki had snatched it out of his hand in a heartbeat, pocketing it before he had a chance to ask stupid questions. "Surely you've something better to do than pillage the leftovers, Fandral?"

"Touchy." He made a brazen display of defeat, but he still grinned like he'd achieved his end anyway. "Perhaps I'll assist in parading the new prisoners. Can't let the good Lady Sif have all the fun." He offered a little salute before assisting their new prisoner with the blade through his palm.

"He didn't mean any harm, Loki."

"No of course not. If he had, it would have been far more productive to notice my fixation on victimized brunettes. Surely he knows that would achieve a far more entertaining rise out of me."

"Or perhaps he'd rather not take his life into his own hands. Please, Loki, he knows that to jest about such things would be obviously unwise. They know what happened with Naomi."

He leveled Thor a sinister glare as Fandral passed, heading back the way they'd come, looking smug as usual. And then there was Rurik, looking sickeningly intrigued even as they slipped out of earshot to join the herd of captives. "You tread on dangerous ground to even mention her, Thor."

Loki could see how carefully he plotted his next course of action. "You are not the only one missing someone on account of the Allfather, Loki." He couldn't help but grin. _Oh very clever, Thor._ Yet another futile attempt at camaraderie. It wasn't the first time since his release that Thor had gone all doe-eyed and apologetic trying to make amends. _Go ahead, brother. Appeal to my humanity._ "It's been two years since I've seen Jane. I understand."

"I don't need your sympathies, Thor," Loki laughed. "There isn't a damn thing but honor keeping you on the Allfather's leash. I, however, will be running his errands for eternity awaiting his blessing to leave as anything more than a fugitive. The last thing I need is understanding."

Thor looked as grimly determined as always. His grip on Mjolnir tightened as he withheld whatever retort he was clearly eager to say. Remarkable how quickly he had learned to keep his mouth shut after everything that happened with Naomi. First intelligent thing he'd done in a long time.

The marauders' mess had all but cleaned itself up after that. Small mercies. Even larger victories. This was the end. The end of a long road of errands and clean up and final terms. To see the last of them corralled through the bifrost evoked a small feeling of genuine relief. By nightfall, he and Thor had brought up the flank, finally touching down on the rainbow bridge again. For every prior homecoming, he could feel the chains that dragged him back. This time, however, he felt closer to freedom than he had in months.

"The battle is all but won," Thor noted quietly. "Your freedom has surely been earned by now."

"Well it's never really been a question of earning, now has it?"

Thor didn't comment. "Come celebrate with us. Join us in drink. Even if you haven't earned that, you most certainly deserve it. You put Asgard's finest warriors to shame today." He was more than brave when he thumped Loki on the back – an age-old sign of camaraderie that Loki's slight form had never appreciated. "Come on. Just like old times."

Old times. His fond memories were few and far between on a good day, but hardly any were forged in the taverns surrounded by a drunken Warriors Three and a mostly intoxicated Thor. In fact, he'd developed a particular aversion to their celebratory affairs. "Another time, perhaps," Loki offered.

"And here I was expecting outright rejection."

"Ordinarily you'd deserve it, but as you said, the battle is all but won. And I have better things to do."

"Just like old times then."

Loki pulled a grin and it was far more playful than he would have liked to admit. His mood betrayed him. And Thor smiled back. "We're due to meet with father tomorrow," he called as Loki walked ahead.

"And I shall find you too drunk to make it, right on time, as per usual."

"I would expect nothing less."

With a small flourish of green light, he stepped from the bridge into his chambers. The warm glow of the fireplace welcomed him home as it had after hundreds of battles across the centuries. Some much more recently. But this place had grown cold in the years leading up to his banishment and subsequent imprisonment. _No longer._ It grew warmer still. Warmer because she'd been here, for however brief a time. He brought her pen from its keep, sliding into his chair before he meticulously scrubbed the blood from its surface. It shined soon enough.

Even so, its original luster had waned a long while ago.

The point had dulled; barely sharp but painfully blunt. After a few attempts against very thick enchanted glass and day after day of scratching notches into stone, the point was gone long before he'd salvaged it. The ink drained before their had been too long since he'd seen her last. Weeks. Maybe even a month. It was simpler in the beginning before the Allfather sent him off like a glorified errand boy. He remembered the first time he'd managed a visit, slipping through the cracks between the realms to find her again. By that time it had been almost a month since she'd come home and he could still feel the desperation in her embrace. In her kiss. Loki sighed, sinking deeper into his armchair as he reminisced. She looked as she had been the day he first met her, although a bit less disheveled. He could feel in her grip how she'd regained her strength. He could tell by her smile how much she'd missed him. _My perfect mortal._ Asgard could never offer a better homecoming.

But the universe found ways of intervening in the months that followed. It grew harder and harder to reach her with anything more than his illusions. It had been weeks since he'd even looked in on her.

Loki stared at the pen in his grasp until his vision clouded, marred by stars a million miles away. His gaze fell upon Midgard, drifting until he centered on her. _Naomi_. He smiled. _Stubborn little minx._ She'd never played the victim very well. It didn't suit her. No more than the fragile frame captivity had once forced upon her. This – this was much better.

* * *

So that's what Loki has been up to. Fun times with final terms lol I've literally had this chapter and the last one written for four years. It's been a long time coming. Thank you so much for all of your reviews and kind comment so far! The warm welcome back is very much appreciated. I am so glad to finally be able to share this with you and I truly hope you all enjoy it. It's been really awesome to see everyone's reactions when they happen upon this sequel having not read the original in years. SURPRISE! Anyways, thanks for reading! Love you guys!

P.S. Ya'll should follow me on instagram at simplyrachaelart I make cool stuff :3

K thanks bye!


	3. Chapter 3

Naomi had learned to enjoy exhaustion. She appreciated the bone-deep ache that meant hard work and muscle. There was nothing better than collapsing victorious against a mat after beating the shit out of someone.

Six months of intensive martial arts training had done her well. After coming home, all she could think to do was recover and while everyone else suggested therapy and other counseling, she wanted nothing more than to ensure it would never happen again. Although she felt it probable that a few moves and more muscle mass weren't going to protect her if the Asgardians tried again, the classes were a great distraction and offered at least a little peace of mind. Of course, she was also violent by nature and a mean right hook makes people think twice before offering their useless sympathy.

There were a few members of this dojo who had recognized her from the news. They all knew why she was here. But after a few short months, they didn't question why she survived. She learned fast and worked hard. And, of course, she had plenty of free time to burn.

This evening, she was pitted against a young man she didn't know very well. He was average in height and build, but she knew with a single swing that he was stronger than he looked. She kept her movements light and her eyes sharp, waiting for his next attack. She may not have been particularly strong, but she was fast. His predictability also worked in her favor. She all but set herself up for a takedown and he took the bait, going for her legs. But before he could sweep her off her feet, he took what would have been a very painful palm strike to the nose. And in his momentary distraction, she slithered in close and then dropped him over her hip without remorse. She gave him a long moment to eat mat, before letting him up.

She could see the look of emasculation on his face when he returned to his stance. If he'd been holding back, he certainly wouldn't be now. But she wasn't afraid. Naomi would never forget the night a huge pair of arms surrounded her and she'd been powerless to escape. She would never forget the night she was attacked – overwhelmed and abused – broken and violated. Never again. She dug her teeth into her mouth guard, bracing for his next move. But their instructor blew the whistle and the residual momentum died off. Not a bad fight.

They bumped their gloved fists and parted ways, the winner as always undetermined. However, she received quite a few pats on the back from friends who'd quite enjoyed the show. She grinned as she popped out her mouth guard and stowed it with her other things. Not a bad fight at all.

She slung her duffel bag over her shoulder and headed outside, the cool air chilling her sweaty skin. Her damp ponytail stuck unpleasantly to the back of her neck. Fortunately, by the time she'd reach the bus stop, it would probably be dry. Of course, she hadn't gone four feet before an SUV, not unlike her sister's, was pulling up beside her with an unnecessary honk. Shortly after, the window rolled down to reveal said sister.

"Hey. Mom said you needed a ride."

Naomi bristled. She couldn't help but roll her eyes. "I'm perfectly capable of taking the bus."

Evelyn just gave her a look before putting the window back up. She would sit there all goddamn night if she let her. Naomi huffed an exasperated noise before throwing her bag in the backseat and hopping in. "You know I'm perfectly capable of driving too."

"Naomi, you blacked out and barely avoided a head-on collision. You could've been killed. You could've killed someone else."

"Yeah, but I didn't. And it was only that one time."

She caught Evelyn's sideways glance. It had only happened once while she was driving, but she'd been caught in dangerous, momentary flashbacks numerous times since. They hadn't started immediately, but PTSD is unpredictable like that. And she started finding triggers – little things that would startle her and make her hands shake. Then there were others that caused the black-outs. And the panic attacks came last. _And it was a most unpleasant return._

Time was supposed to make things better.

 _I just need a little more time._

Naomi slumped further into the seat, arms folding over the seatbelt. "I don't need a chaperone. I don't need a ride. If Mom's gonna take away my fucking keys, the least she could do is let me ride the goddamn bus! I'm not fucking five anymore."

"Mom didn't actually send me." _Miracles do happen._ "I know she's been smothering you, lately. I told her she can't be hanging around your house every waking hour, but you know how she is. She's completely convinced if she leaves you alone for a second you're going to disappear again. And if not from being kidnapped or abducted or whatever you wanna call it, she thinks you're going to run off with him." It only took half a glance for Evelyn to catch the way her brow twisted. _Him._ As if he didn't have a name. As if he wasn't the only damn thing keeping her alive for a fair chunk of her captivity. As if he wasn't the only fucking thing to give her purpose anymore. "You know, it might help if _you_ tried talking to her one of these days, instead of avoiding her."

"And say what? She has me totally victimized. Better yet, I'm pretty sure some days she thinks I'm a fucking criminal for even thinking about _Loki_. I don't need this. I don't need _any_ of this. I survived months alone in a dungeon, but nothing I say will convince her that I'm fine."

Evelyn huffed a laugh. "When people say they're fine, they're usually lying."

"I'm fine enough," she growled.

Her younger sister sighed, sinking back into the driver's seat as they pulled up at a stoplight. "I got a message from Gwen the other day."

" _What?_ " She was half expecting a punch line, but Evelyn's expression said otherwise. _False hope._ Gwen hadn't even been a fleeting thought to cross her mind since she'd recounted the story to Loki months before. "What did she want? How did she find us? I thought she was in prison. Or dead in a ditch somewhere."

"Well, apparently not. She said she saw you on the news."

Naomi sunk back into her seat with a huff. "Great."

"She says she's looking forward to seeing everyone. No specified date attached to that," she added, no doubt noticing Naomi's dumbfounded stare. "There's no way she got your address from the news. She can't possibly figure out more than the town."

"She found your phone number without much trouble. Gwen makes stupid decisions, but she's smart enough. If she's after money or whatever, she'll find us."

"So what do we do?"

"Is moving an option?"

They shared a slightly doubtful smile. "Well, it is your place. But you know the second Mom finds out she's going to want to see her. She still talks about her all the time like she just got lost in the woods or something. She seems to just ignore everything that happened. She forgets that none of us parted on good terms."

Naomi remembered. She'd still been living at home at the time after her prior apartment had been torn down. Evelyn was supposed to be leaving for college in a few days. She couldn't recall what started it all, but she would never forget when Gwen snapped. Something trivial. Something small. And all of the sudden she was yelling and screaming about all of her harsh injustices, how they'd all wronged her. Naomi remembered being shoved. Pushed so hard she shattered a vase on the way down, before being prickled with broken glass. It was all her fault, she said. Gwen blamed everything on her. In her delusional reality, Naomi was responsible for every woe and complaint she ever had.

Gwen had yanked her up by her hair. She could still feel it. The words were muted now, but she'd heard all she'd needed to hear years before. Gwen hated her. And it only took one last straw for her to finally show it.

Evie called the police. Her father broke up the fight just before they arrived. Gwen left in handcuffs and they hadn't seen her since then. The only news after that came from their mother. Supposedly she was up for a psych evaluation or something. Nothing had ever been the same since then. After that, Evelyn left for college, her parents decided to move, and Naomi, for all her trouble, was left behind. For better or worse.

 _I'm all alone._

She stiffened on the verge of panic, curling further into the seat. She stared out the window, hoping to distract herself. Evelyn was still thinking out loud from the driver's seat, while Naomi watched her own reflection with widening eyes.

 _You're not alone._ She heard Loki whisper again. Quiet assurance he'd offered her once. _Not anymore._ She could almost feel him, his fingertips brushing against her jaw, his lips pressing against her forehead. _Just breathe._ The panic faded. Evelyn had stopped talking. She opened her eyes, only to be startled by the green eyes staring back from her reflection. In the glass, she could see Loki glowering over her shoulder as if he was curled into the seat beside her. But he wasn't.

"Naomi? You okay?"

She turned back to see her with a start. "Yeah. I'm fine."

Evelyn clearly didn't buy it. "I guess it's not worth worrying about yet." If it wasn't worth worrying about, she wouldn't have gone out of her way to get her alone to tell her.

She looked back to the window and Loki was gone. But even without his startling reflection, the news was unsettling. She once wished things could go back to the way they were before, but it was, at this point, an unending nightmare down memory lane.

They drove the rest of the way home in silence. Evelyn had a look of concern ingrained in her forehead, while Naomi just looked irritated. What was one more thing? Her mother had thankfully gone home already when they arrived. Unless she camped out on the couch, she had nowhere to stay with Evie using the guestroom over spring break. _Small mercies._

Even with the old silence temporarily restored, she spent more of the night trying to sleep than actually sleeping after that bombshell. She was too busy reminiscing on unpleasant memories. Gwen was a sour spot, despite how she'd once explained it to Loki. She couldn't help but love her sister, deep down somewhere, but she would never forget. And Gwen would never change. Of course, she thought the same of Loki not so long ago. But if she had to guess, he'd probably never be the same after everything that happened down in the dungeons. Neither would she.

After a while, she drifted off, back to the world that came before this. Something simpler. The comfort of company in solitude. The stark white walls were foggy, but his face was clear. He stopped pacing when he saw her, glancing to where she sat among her drawings. _"I've missed you,"_ he offered, trying for a smile.

Naomi stood, her bare feet silent on the stone as she came to meet him. He reached for her, his fingers curling just before they met her skin. She watched the way his fingers danced never coming close enough. "You hardly visit me anymore."

He paused, the motion slowing, his expression falling. _"I'm trying, darling. It's only gotten harder to slip away."_

"But you're here now." For a moment, she felt her hand tangle in his hair, her nails softly raking against his scalp as she leaned in closer, her lips barely a breath from his. But he was gone. She looked up to find him standing in his own cell, the bright yellow barrier humming between them.

 _"I told you we would be together again. And I promise I'm trying."_

"Loki, please-"

 _"I'm sorry, darling."_

"Don't go. I – I need you." It still pained her to admit it, but every moment without him was a struggle she wouldn't miss. She reached for him, only to have the barrier burn her – sear her fingertips and then spread, the knotwork branding her entire arm. Her lungs ached from screaming, but the world around her was silent. Her bedroom was empty. Loki was gone. Her arm was fine, but she still remembered where the barrier had once marred the flesh of her hand. She'd never forget what it felt like.

Just like she'd never forget how it felt to wake up with an arm curled around her, a reassuring presence, a cool body pressed against her back. But it had been such a long time. _But he promised._ It was only a matter of time. So she tugged the sheets tighter around her and hunkered down to wait for tomorrow.

...

"I told you we would be together again. And I promise I'm trying." She looked so tired – disappointed. She deserved so much better. And here he left her waiting. "I'm sorry, darling."

He expected her spite. He expected anger of her more often than not. She'd never been afraid to bite back, but this time he saw only sadness. Since she'd fallen ill from near starvation months before, Loki had hoped not to see her like this. _"Don't go. I – I need you."_ It pained her to be so open, even after everything that had happened between them.

She reached for him and he wanted, more than anything, to hold her again. But the barrier burned brightly between them and she screamed when it seared her skin. And then he was awake, his field of vision empty, spare the fabric canopy above. He was alone. And her screams still rang in his ears. _You didn't do anything. You just stood there. I need you._

Loki was out of bed in a huff, flinging open the curtains in a vain attempt to flush her from his mind. He was dressed from one moment to the next. He straightened his collar, but his fussing failed to smooth the permanent furrow in his brow. He was already halfway out the door. Thor might actually seem punctual the way his morning was going. _Don't go – please._

"Why must you haunt me, darling?"

Unending final terms. Odin's useless errands. But the war was nearly won. With the mess made of the Nine nearly made right, it was only a matter of time. But he knew better than to hope. He silenced his thoughts and readied himself for what was to come. He was already late to his meeting with the bearer of bad news.

By the time he reached the throne room, Thor was already there. And Frigga as well. He knew before he'd even come into earshot that they wouldn't be receiving the commendations they'd hoped for. Odin already looked like he'd heard enough of whatever they'd been discussing. He hung forward on the throne, more weight than usual hanging on Gungnir. Frigga seemed unnerved the way she watched him, hands wringing together in worry. And Loki continued to watch unnoticed. He padded silently to the dais, catching only the last few words of whatever the previous conversation had been.

"Nice of you to join us," Thor said over his shoulder. Loki could feel the smirk he didn't show. "I was just regaling father with our efforts on Vanaheim."

"Yes, Thor tells me your strategy was most effective," Odin noted. Loki feigned a smile. He sounded barely impressed. "And so the realms are nearly as they were almost three years ago, before the Bifrost's destruction."

Loki could always hear the blame in that statement, even though it was technically Thor who destroyed the Bifrost. But the Allfather didn't care for technicality. The large hole left in his frosty home-world made certain of that. "Indeed. We've come further than I expected," Loki replied. "One might even say the peace has been restored."

Odin didn't smile. It was a rare occurrence under normal circumstances. Instead, he quirked an eyebrow, surely sensing the silver on his tongue. He felt like a rat under his gaze. And for far too long he'd played the part. For months, he'd been running errands and scavenging on the edges of his good humor. But every time he found the odds in his favor, the mighty Allfather needed only to step on his tail and impede his freedom for an undeniable eternity.

"The marauders have been all but collected," Thor intoned, cutting through their silence. "Loki is right." His vote of confidence was more than useless. "The realms have once more been reassured of their safety. And those who thought to challenge us are being brought to justice as we speak. What further peace is there to be found?" Thor sounded far too jovial considering Odin's irritated visage hadn't perked up in the slightest.

"The Nine have coincided in peace, a peace uninterrupted for thousands of years, until the petty actions of Asgard's princes no less, tossed Yggdrasil itself into chaos. Jotunheim was nearly destroyed. It will be centuries before such an upheaval is truly settled." Loki couldn't help but feel a little shocked. Always the blame had been solely his to bear for this, but he'd thrown Thor, his favorite son, Asgard's crown prince, right into the dirt with him. As if they'd conspired in the whole thing together. "Your efforts to repair the realms have not gone unnoticed and Asgard will not deny you its gratitude."

Loki tried to swallow the forming lump in his throat. His hands had clenched into fists, though he tried to hide his unease. Thor didn't hide it at all. He was itching to summon Mjolnir and put a hole through something. _Gratitude._ It was some small trinket to hold them over for whatever blow he would deal next, and he knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He adjusted on the throne, looking grim as ever. "However, such crimes may never truly be answered for."

"So that's it then?" Loki snapped. He could see the worry cross his mother's face; Thor's too. They were begging him to keep silent, that this would only make things worse. _There's no Hel worse than this._ "Why even drag me out of the dungeons at all, if only to offer this feigned freedom. Final terms. I have done your bidding like a perfect servant and you've nothing to show but disdain and mockery. I have _slaved_ for the sake of your useless gratitude. And all for naught. You saw me suffer. You saw me _break_. You've seen me change, but it will never be enough. You care for nothing but your pride and nothing anyone does will ever change the fact that I have so tarnished your history of peace and prosperity!"

He prowled closer to the dais, his sei∂r barely a breath from visibly pouring off his fingers. "You would watch me suffer and writhe in this torment for an eternity. But mark my words, you'll meet your end long before then!" The old man didn't cower, but he felt his resolve begin to fade. His grip on Gungnir softened and he settled further into his throne, his single eye a little foggy.

"You will never be worthy," he said. He still didn't look up, his eyes unfocused, but he could hear the finality in his words. "Not of the throne. Not of your freedom. Not of that _woman_." Loki could only stare. Was it spite? More than likely another cruel commentary to rile him into doing something stupid so that he might further punish him. But what did he care? What did Odin care if he were worthy of a mortal he deemed so far beneath him?

The Allfather breathed unevenly for a moment, almost rasped before he collected himself again. He thumped Gungnir on the dais but Loki had turned and gone before he could make some foolhardy proclamation – the perfect end to a terrible morning. He stormed out, back the way he'd come, but it wasn't long before Thor had caught up. "Father has always been rather blunt," he offered. Loki ignored him. "Mother says he is not well. They were having words about it when I arrived. She thinks the past few centuries have finally caught up with him."

Loki slowed, the reality of that small statement sinking in. "Has she seen something?"

"She did not say. But mother wouldn't say such things lightly. She means to prepare for the worst, I suppose."

Loki's mind whirled as his prior train of thought vanished. Perhaps the almighty Allfather is finally bearing the weight of his actions, Loki thought coldly. He still remembered the afternoon when he nearly died and the shell-shocked look on his face like he'd seen a ghost. That was one way to think about it. But he remembered the visible toll it took on him, not that he'd ever admit to it. Loki thought of it as responsibility, like he'd finally found fault in his actions. He'd survived, however, and such faults were most assuredly forgotten. But it didn't matter now. None of it mattered now.

Thor was still babbling on, but Loki didn't hear him. He was blinded, his vision tunneling around him. And all he saw in that moment was an empty throne. Freedom. The last laugh. The end of an era. The end of the torment. And the easiest end to the whole of it. _You will never be worthy. Not of that woman._ Loki would never forget this most recent torment. Just as he would not forget the last year he spent imprisoned and every shortcoming since his adoption into this godforsaken family. It was almost comforting to have the bane of his existence removed – eradicated. But not yet.

"It's happened before," Thor said as Loki tuned in again. "He's probably just in need of some rest."

"Yes, of course," Loki replied. No more Odin. No more errands. _Naomi._

"Father will change his mind. Surely when his strength returns, he will release you. You've done more than enough to earn your freedom, brother."

Loki's expression tightened. "You heard what he said." _You will never be worthy._ "There will be no convincing him." One day soon it might not matter. _I told you we would be together again._ His sole focus for so long had been Odin's norn-forsaken chores, but things would soon be different. "But I will have my freedom. One way or another."

* * *

So here's a little more of the goings-on between worlds. Not particularly exciting but necessary. Because plot lol Oh and did anyone even remember that Gwen existed? Most people I've talked to didn't recall the one conversation from Cellmates that she appeared in. But family drama is a thing so Tadaa! This chapter is literally nothing but hints. Is it foreshadowing? Is it all a lie? What's gonna happen? Who knows? But most importantly, when are Loki and Naomi gonna meet face to face again aside from me just mentioning that it does actually happen? Waaggghhhh!

Sooner than you think...

Thanks for reading! Love you guys!


	4. Chapter 4

For once Naomi took her therapist's advice, if for no other reason than to get out of the house. Boredom wasn't a bad reason either. Without a job or a car, thanks to uneasy employers and her 'deteriorating mental state,' she could certainly do worse. She'd always thought about taking an art class. She'd been a doodler all her life, but she never considered it a talent or a skill. The local community college offered classes for non-students on the weekends. They were usually simple things like crocheting or how to do CPR; just another activity to try and keep bored students from drinking.

It was a basic drawing class; nothing a normal person couldn't figure out if they legitimately tried. All the same, she followed along. They were all perched on stools in front of easels, equipped with paper, pencils, and charcoal. Each tool and its purpose were described at length to the other dozen attendees, most of which looked half asleep already. The instructor, an older man, talked endlessly about the importance of line and value and personal expression. And all the while, his hand was moving, sketching, marking the board with fine lines of white chalk. By the end of his lecture he'd formed a stylized rendering of the scene outside the window.

After that he set the class to work and she couldn't help but relax. Drawing had always been a vice for her. All manner of items had been set out for still life sketching. In the hour or so that was allotted, she had filled her extra large sheet of paper. And every time the instructor passed, he offered little more than approval, which wasn't particularly helpful, but it was nothing if not a confidence booster. _I guess._ By the time the class was winding down, she'd taken to drawing the back of another student's head, if only to keep Loki from rearing his infamous head. Not that she'd expect anyone to question it, let alone recognize him.

At the end of class, the instructor offered the opportunity to take a look at everyone else's work. Naomi was pleased to discover she was actually one of the better artists here. Certainly not the best, but somewhere in the pleasant middle ground. She returned to her easel to find a small crowd still staring. Ordinarily she would have been annoyed, but they all offered a slew of compliments when they noticed her, asking about her technique and prior experience. It was remarkable, she thought, it was the closest she'd come to fitting in since grade school. And in recent months, it was the only crowd bombarding her with questions that had nothing to do with her abduction.

Eventually everyone dispersed, with the exception of a young man more than likely her age with dirty blonde hair. He thoughtfully massaged the back of his neck, still admiring her work. "Is that the back of my head?"

She honestly had to take a second look to know for sure. "Yeah, I guess it is."

"You must be pretty good at this if I recognized it," he offered with a laugh. It was a casual compliment, but meaningful, she thought. So far, her occasional doodles were her only praiseworthy attributes. "Thanks." She packed away the drawing with the others, before shouldering her bag.

"Is this your first art class? Couldn't be; not the way you draw."

"I'm not that good," she shrugged, heading towards the exit in her customary retreat from conversation.

He grinned, following after her. "I've had a look at other people's work and I've been coming for a few weeks now. You're good, don't sell yourself short."

"I've never taken classes before," she said when he didn't seem to be heading his own way in the immediate future. "But I've been sketching and doodling for as long as I can remember. What about you?"

"I'm going to school to be an architect. We do a lot of mechanical drawings and stuff, but I thought it might be useful to take more artistically based classes. Broaden the horizons so to speak."

"Not a bad idea. Straight lines have gotta be boring after a while."

He laughed. Something of an adorable squeak for his appearance that only made her laugh in return. She could barely remember the last time she'd had a genuine laugh at anything. In hindsight, she was kind of ashamed that it was this stranger's stupid laugh. "You're right," he grinned. "They are. Of course I don't seem to be good for much else."

Another small laugh. Then a smile. And she didn't mind him much after that. He walked her a long way across the campus, almost to the bus stop a good mile or so from the classroom. It was nothing but small talk, but it was certainly more pleasant than an afternoon having half conversations with her mother. It was almost a comfort. That was when she saw him. It was only half a glance over her new friend's shoulder. But it was him. It was long black hair and the glower of dark green eyes. He passed through a reflection – maybe – but in that half moment she might have just been seeing things. It left her stomach knotted all the same.

And not a moment sooner, the real world returned in the form of a middle-aged man in a tailored suit and sunglasses, waiting by an unmarked black car. Her smile slowly waned until it formed her usual grimace. Yet another unwelcome visit from her least favorite acronym.

"You haven't been returning our calls."

"It was nice talking to you," she offered her almost-companion. Without anything further, she shouldered her bag and started unwillingly towards the car and her next fucking chaperone. Another day in paradise.

The drive was long, but she'd take incognito over a helicopter ride. Her escort was silent the entire way there. S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, from the outside, was just another building, granted it was a very large building with a complex the size of a university campus. Not to mention the fact that there was even more stashed below ground. She vaguely remembered being dragged around down there when she'd first come home. It was a labyrinth for all intents and purposes.

Today, however, she found herself stashed in a very large office, well above ground this time. Instead of a low-grade office chair, it was a cushy armchair poised before a giant, overly organized desk. Behind it, the wall was all windows, offering a perfect overlook of the city around it. As nice as it was, she felt more out of place here than she had stuffed below ground. She'd spent months in a dungeon after all.

After a while, she heard the electronic whoosh of the door behind her sliding open and then shut again. And a moment later she was face to face with Fury. She'd never had the misfortune of meeting him, but he looked the part: all doom and gloom and leather. And an eye patch. Every S.H.I.E.L.D. agent she'd crossed paths with so far had mentioned him, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but now he'd cut out the middleman and she could only imagine what she'd done to deserve such an unwanted honor.

"Want some coffee?" he asked, not even looking at her as he sat down behind his desk. He didn't wait for her more than likely acerbic response. "Have you heard from your boyfriend?"

For all the mystery of the agents she'd encountered previously, Fury certainly didn't beat around the bush. He looked up this time, his one eye intently focused on her. His expression, though deceptive with his persistently furrowed brow, didn't seem angry, only interested. But he was a spy after all. Even the eyes lie.

"Not for a while." Not a lie, but not the truth he was looking for.

"But you have spoken with him since your escape?"

"Yes. I've told your agents this before."

"Yes, your cooperation has been noted. Loki's comings and goings are harder to keep track of than his brother's, seeing he doesn't drop out of the sky in a rainbow tornado. If I had to guess, I'd say he just slips in without anyone's notice. And that brings us to you."

"He comes only to see me."

"His presence is a matter of national security. We could easily detain you for harboring a known war criminal."

"I don't harbor him. He pops in to say hi now and then. He comes and he leaves. There's nothing else to it."

"So what do you talk about then?" Fury leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk, his hands coming together under his chin. "Reminisce about the good old days in the dungeons?"

Naomi offered him a seething look. She leaned forward mirroring his movement and sitting her chin in the palms of her hands, all but daring him to press further. "Sometimes."

"And how about the other times?"

"I don't know nuclear warfare, plans of world domination, the latest celebrity gossip. You know. The usual bull shit." Fury leaned back in his chair thoroughly unamused. "I could tell you what we actually talk about, but I'm sure you'd find that even less amusing."

"Do you know what he did?" Fury asked plainly as if entirely unfazed by her reply. "I'll be frank. We're not a particularly nurturing bunch around here, especially for those of the uncooperative sort. So I'll apologize for our lack of sympathy. If there's one truth in your story it's that whatever happened up there is better left up there." Naomi retreated slightly at that. _All right, Fury. You have my attention._ "But since day one you've been treating us like we're the bad guys." Naomi had an obvious argument for that one, but Fury cut her off. "Do you know what Loki did?" He enunciated every single word and he'd take nothing less than a straight answer this time.

"Yes."

"So he told you how he came here on some half assed peace crusade that required the deaths of hundreds of people. I mean he had to have told you how he planned to kill anyone who wasn't willing to submit to him." While Loki had not explained his plot to her in every graphic detail, she knew. She'd seen the news. She'd watched the events of New York as they unfolded. She'd watched aliens pour out of a hole in the sky. Watched buildings crumble. Watched people die. "Loki is a liar," Fury said plainly. "A delusional liar. No matter what he told you, no matter what you think you know about the battle of New York, you weren't here to see the people he slaughtered first hand. He delights in death." Naomi remembered the blood that had stained the cell from the guard Loki had killed to protect her. Was he a killer? She could argue that, but he had undeniably killed. "Loki is a monster."

Naomi sat back in her chair, her eyes losing focus and suddenly avoiding Fury's piercing one-eyed gaze. She recalled with perfect clarity the way Loki had first approached her, his every word like poison. He was angry and spiteful and every move he made spoke of someone absolutely unafraid to make good on his threats. The loathing in his eyes when they first met was all she knew of the man who attacked New York. Loki believed himself a monster and in the end he believed that death was all he deserved.

"Maybe he was a monster before, but not anymore."

"I wanna show you something."

Fury queued something up at the desk in front of him and after a moment it appeared on the now darkened windows behind him. She didn't recognize the room she was seeing at all. It looked like the interior of a submarine or something. But she knew a cell when she saw one, a room of white with walls of glass. And eventually its prisoner walked into frame. It was Loki, with his black hair slicked back and dressed head to toe in leather. Even with the wide angle, his features were clear as day. He looked less human than he ever had, his eyes cold but calculating and the thin line of his mouth on the verge of an absolutely malevolent grin.

The footage sped up and skipped several times, but she saw the encounters Fury wanted her to see.

 _"I won't touch Barton. Not until I make him kill you, slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull!"_

Naomi swallowed a little harder after that. His every word stung like those he'd offered her many months ago. The next thing she knew Loki had made his escape, trapping his brother in his place. One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents, full suit as per usual, appeared to apprehend him. And she saw first hand how cruel Loki's projections could be. No sooner had the agent threatened to gun him down, Loki appeared behind him and stabbed him through the chest. He delights in death, Fury had said. In this instance, she lost the words to argue otherwise.

"Agent Coulson died that day. One of many innocent men and women that lost their lives to the man you're protecting."

Naomi centered her gaze on Fury again. "What do you want? There is nothing I can tell you that I haven't already, no matter what I think of Loki. It doesn't matter if I approve of what he's done. He comes and goes when he feels like it. I don't know when or where- "

"We have detected several energy signatures over the past few days and they bare significant resemblance to your psycho boyfriend."

"Okay and what is that supposed to mean?"

"It means whenever this signature spikes there's a series of bombings and plenty of people turn up dead. That's what it means. And we need to know if he's involved."

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?"

"Well you're the only one we know who possibly could know. And until we find out, we'll be paying very close attention."

Naomi's eyes narrowed. "You've been spying on me since I came back to this planet. If you haven't found what you're looking for yet, I think it's safe to assume you won't. But feel free to post some more slimy goons outside my house. I bought a new slingshot and I could use some target practice." She stood up in a huff and let herself out.

"Have a nice day," Fury called after her.

She had just enough time to flip him the bird before slamming the door.

* * *

So Naomi is just trying to have a life and S.H.I.E.L.D. is like naw. This whole chapter is basically a metaphor for life because you're just going along, doing your thing and life wants no part of it. And on that note, life is an absolute asshole in this story and I apologize in advance lol But it'll be worth it! Hopefully? Anyway, this was another probably boring plot chapter, but more fun things are coming I promise! And I should also note, that as with the first story, it doesn't break into chapters very well. I always recommend rereading the last bit of the previous chapter before the new one, only because there is more often than not, a lot of overlap. Not with this chapter, but many future chapters will blur together like that. So yea. Oh! And I hope you're looking forward to next chapter. I certainly am *super hinting winky face* K bye!


	5. Chapter 5

Escaping the S.H.I.E.L.D. compound without an escort proved to be slightly more difficult than she expected. Not because she couldn't find her way out, more because she was stopped by someone about every five feet. By the time she actually walked out the door, she figured at least fifteen of the people who'd stopped her along the way were watching her through the front door to ensure she didn't turn around and bomb the place or something. The hole in the ground wouldn't be any more appealing than the stupid building that was already there.

It was a dark and blustery two-mile walk to the nearest bus stop from there, but after that conversation the fresh air was appreciated. Although the cold did nothing to cool her near boiling temper. S.H.I.E.L.D. had been an enormous thorn in her side for so long now she'd almost gotten used to it. So why had the leather boogyman's threat gotten her so bent out of shape? _I haven't given a genuine shit about anything in forever, so why now?_ The more her mind festered over it the more she hated the ass hole in the eye patch. Doubt, she thought. That's what it was. He had no other goal today than to make her doubt that Loki could change – that he was capable of compassion, let alone love.

Loki was a monster. _Was._ She hadn't needed Fury's bullshit to tell her that. But if he hadn't nearly destroyed two planets and ended up wallowing away in a dungeon he might have been a monster forever. But she could never explain to anyone, let alone a guy like Fury, what had happened to them down there. She clung to those memories tighter and tighter with the growing certainty that one day she'd lose them. And she needed them. Now more than ever.

She waited alone at the bus stop, still trapped in her own thoughts. It was a war between Fury's scare tactics and Loki's loving embrace. And the two wanted nothing to do with one another. That tiny shadow of a doubt burned deep in her chest and it made her whole body ache with remorse. Fury wasn't right. Not about her. Not about Loki. Not about anything. Who was he to talk about liars? He who was basically the head _fucking_ spy. No. What Loki did before was irrelevant. All his plans for thrones and world domination were ancient history. He told her so. Nothing meant more to him than she did. He died for her. He _promised_ her.

The bus finally turned onto the street. It would only be another half hour ride home now. She'd have been home already if not for the car key confiscation. Better still, she'd have been home hours ago if not for the one-eyed wonder.

She boarded, paid her dues and took a seat in the back, the side of her head shortly plastered to the window. In the dark, she watched the incoming headlights pass. After a while the headlights turned into street lamps as the evening traffic began to wane. She watched as the street signs gained familiarity. Not much longer now. She slid back in the plastic seat, scooting her knees up onto the seat into front of her. Public transportation wasn't all that bad with no one around. It was almost relaxing. She pulled the tie from her hair and no sooner had her curly hair pooled around her shoulders she felt the familiar sensation of a ghostly hand knotting its fingers in the strands. She leaned into it; Loki's touch a cool breath upon her cheek. She saw him this time. This afternoon he was quick, she'd almost missed it. But this time the flash of green eyes and pale skin in the window was unmistakable.

Naomi hurried off the bus, jogging down the street to her house. Twice in one day – that couldn't be coincidence. She was more than pleasantly surprised to not find any extra cars around. Not even Evie's. No visible S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. No irritating family members. She walked in and found the TV on with a stale bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. And then there was the note wedged in between the couch cushions.

 _We were going to have a movie night but you never came home and you don't answer your phone. You owe me! Love, Evie._

She stuck the note back in the couch and started searching the house. Aside from the eerie light from the TV, the apartment was dark. Nothing more than ambient light through the windows. She didn't breathe as she slipped up the hallway, back pressed tightly to the wall. She paused at the bathroom door, carefully pushing the door open with her foot. Nothing moved. The tiniest creak of the door's old hinges was the only sound. She couldn't even hear the near constant thrum of water running in the pipes beneath her feet. The bedroom door was almost within reach. Peering across the hall through the crack in the doorway, she thought she might have found something out of place. The slightest shift in the usual shadows.

She slid across the hall, pushing the door open in one fluid motion. But upon further inspection she found the room was empty. Nothing out of place. Not even slightly. The bed was even made. Courtesy of her mother more than likely. She dropped her guard with a sigh. She swung the door open the rest of the way and flicked on the lights. And no sooner had her eyes adjusted to the sudden change in lighting, a hand had clamped down on her shoulder. For a split second, there was complete and utter panic as her heart jumped out of her chest. And then she moved, two motions compounded into one well-executed take down. Her attacker made a loud yelp at the expense of his wrist, before he was flat on his back, his eyes pinched shut as he adjusted to the sudden overhaul in gravity. But then he smiled. That mirthful grin that was just asking to be smacked off of his face. Naomi waited, hunched in her fighting stance, chest heaving from the sudden exertion. _And he has the audacity to smile. Asshole._

"You're getting very good at that, darling." Naomi rolled her eyes, letting her hands drop to her sides. "It's getting harder and harder to sneak up on you."

"You're unbelievable."

Loki leaned up on his elbow, massaging his possibly sprained wrist. "And why is that?" The subtle taunt in his voice begged for rebuttal.

"You haven't seen me in a month and all you can think to do is ambush me in the dark or startle me while I'm holding breakable stuff. Or food." Naomi loomed over him, pointing to where he'd ruined not one but two articles of clothing in one nasty spaghetti spill.

Loki laughed, a full bellied laugh as he no doubt remembered appearing so close to her she had no choice but to dump a family sized portion of pasta smothered in hot tomato sauce all over herself. Needless to say it turned into quite a food fight. Had it not been for Loki's magic it probably would've taken hours to clean the kitchen after that one.

"What can I say," Loki crooned. "It's in my nature."

Naomi shivered, recalling that evening before the inevitable clean up. Sauce covered hands all over one another. Messy kisses. Stained clothes quickly shed. A very long, hot shower. Loki's teasing smile faded as if he'd followed her train of thought. Followed it right back to where she barely allowed her mind to go. To miss him anymore than she already did would be unbearable.

She sunk in closer, her knees framing his hips and her fingers knotting in his hair. A month was too long. She smothered his mouth with hers, wasting no time before her tongue was invading his mouth. _Way too fucking long._ His elbows gave out with her sudden assault, but with that freedom, his cold hands were already under her shirt, searching for skin that hadn't met his in weeks. She shivered, half from his freezing fingertips and half from the sensitive places they'd wandered. Never a dull moment with his magic involved. Her bra was gone with her shirt still in place. He grinned against her kiss. She parted with him only long enough to do away with the shirt before she came back, this time with teeth. She desperately attacked his mouth, her nails on one hand digging into the back of his neck.

"Naomi – Naomi, I'm sorry."

"Shut up."

Loki's voice was reduced to a growl as she suddenly ground down with her hips. Patience had not been her strong suit of late. Or ever really. Loki's hands mapped the warm skin of her chest, up the sides of her neck, and down the smooth line of her back. She sat up, savoring every ounce of his touch. His hands settled on her hips and she could already feel the pleasant burn of his magic invading the hem of her pants. _Not so fast._ She tugged him forward by his collar, hoping as always for buttons or god-forbid a zipper. No such luck. Ever. Loki never did play fair.

She had half a mind to just rip the rather elaborate fabric contraption. Fortunately, with her next insistent tug, the material came away in tendrils of sparkly green magic. Her hands braced his chest and her eyes followed his vanishing attire until it stopped at the ties of his leather pants. She quirked an eyebrow at his sudden modesty. Loki only smiled. _Fair enough._ She recaptured his mouth, her fingers toying gently with the laces of his pants. She'd almost made some headway when he evaporated beneath her and she dropped to the hardwood floor. He popped up again halfway across the room, leaning casually against the bedpost like he'd been there this whole time.

"Loki!" She stood up, massaging her forehead where it had met the floor. "You're such an ass," she grumbled, feigning just enough legitimate aggravation and pain that he dropped his guard. He couldn't help it. His overprotectiveness towards her was pretty much the only string she had to pull. She all but tackled him when he'd come just close enough. Were it not for some level of god-like reflexes, they'd have both ended up in a bruised heap on the floor. Instead, he'd redirected them onto her bed in as coordinated a manner as possible. Even still, they were both huffing from their small circus performance. After that they could only laugh.

God she'd missed him.

When he came for her this time, he was unbelievably gentle. His lips were a soft press against her forehead. His hands a barely there caress across her jaw. She hadn't felt so fragile in his grasp since she was a literal mess of bumps and breaks and mental trauma. She tugged him closer, hooking a leg around his hip and an arm under his side. He brought them chest-to-chest, removing the rest of the fabric between them. It felt like it had been forever since she'd felt him so close – so _wonderfully_ close. His hips moved in slow and languid strokes and she could do little but cling to him as her train of thought tipped off its tracks.

She'd never get used to this – to him. Lying alone in her cell on quiet afternoons, on the rare occasion that Loki kept to himself, she'd imagined what this would be like. Before she had known the feel of his skin or the taste of his kiss, she'd envisioned it. Sometimes she swore Loki could read her mind. She'd caught his smile more than once. And she spent the rest of the evening uncomfortably flushed. Even still, she wondered if it might one day be everything she expected. _Everything and more._ One thing she'd never know for certain was whether or not the overwhelming pleasure was due to his _skills_ or the intense connection she found in him that she never thought she'd have.

"I love you," she breathed. She broke his rhythm; his eyes were wide as if it was his first time hearing it. And his next kiss completely took her breath away.

He didn't move for a long moment, with the exception of his hands. His fingertips traced the lines of her he hated most to forget. His cool touch sent a pleasant chill up her spine. His fingers curled in the hair that framed her face and he lingered there, his softened green eyes lost somewhere deep in hers. "I love you too, darling."

It almost felt like an apology. As much as she deserved it after a very long month in silence, now was not the time. She tugged him closer, burying his face in her neck and with that she made a taunting push of her hips. Loki groaned into her shoulder, his body melting against hers and turning absolutely rigid all at the same time. His hand knotted in her hair, but the other was a sturdy embrace against the small of her back. And after that, it was a timeless stretch of ecstasy, ending with the sheets pulled up at the corners and at least one crack in the headboard.

She was reeling, ears ringing, her body still wracked with tiny aftershocks. And Loki, even with all of his stamina, looked tired as she'd ever seen him. Curling in at his side, sleep would have come more naturally than ever, but her mind was wide-awake and soon overwhelmed with a month's worth of questions.

"What's wrong, love?"

 _Mind reader_ , she swore. "It's been a long day. Long month," she amended.

He leaned over, his lips meeting her forehead in another unspoken apology. "I would hear what you have to say. I could feel your frustrations worlds away. I know I've earned any vitriol you have."

"I haven't heard from you." She almost felt Loki brace himself. But in all honesty, at the end of a long day it was more disappointment and sadness than anger. "Not a word in over a month. You told me things were going to get better. This seems worse to me. Where have you been?" She twisted slightly to see him, but it took him a long moment to find his response.

"It seems I'm as much a prisoner now as I ever have been. The Allfather has sent me all over the Nine Realms to clean up the mess I made. But at the conclusion of each and every endeavor, I feel his cage around me continues to shrink. He keeps a close eye on me and to sneak away has been difficult."

"But you've sent me messages before. Just a sign – anything."

"I have no excuse, darling. You deserve better and I'm so sorry."

Naomi sighed. "I miss you, Loki."

He tucked her in tighter at his side. "I miss you too, my love. But for now, I'm here. Tell me what I've missed. I've seen only glimpses."

"And here I thought you had eyes on me 24/7."

Loki smiled. "I wish I could. I'm afraid I'd have lost my head, quite literally, several times by now were I watching you. But know that whenever I have a moment, my singular focus is you." There really was no feeling better than reassurance. And Naomi felt her mind ease. "So, tell me what I've missed."

They were several long hours into the night by the time she'd recounted everything up until yesterday. Loki hung on her every word, pressing her for every last detail. He paid particular attention where her martial arts were concerned, as well as her ever-irritating mother. She could practically hear his mischievous gears turning as he came up with ever more hilarious ways of bugging her mother. But when her story came to Gwen's unwanted reappearance, Loki grew quiet, listening even more intently than before.

"Evie doesn't know how she found us, but she says she can't wait to see us so it's only a matter of time."

"I suppose a happy reunion is out of the question?"

Naomi remembered telling the story to Loki all those months ago. At the time, the idea of escape and reuniting with her family was all she had. And since death was an ever-present danger down there, she had moments where she'd have forgiven anyone and anything from her past. Several months back in the real world had reminded her that forgiveness doesn't solve everything. It did nothing to heal the wounds of old. "I said I'd forgive her. To forget is a completely different story. And something about her timing just doesn't feel right."

Just one more thing to add to the ever-growing pile of potential misfortunes. Right next to the even larger pile of preexisting misfortunes. She'd wondered since her return to the normal world if 'it just doesn't feel right' was becoming a constant state of being. Her head rolled back to rest on Loki's shoulder, a quiet yawn filling the silence. Were it not that delirious time of night between too late and too early, it might have been her typical sigh. Loki heard it anyway. She could tell by the way he gently tucked her hair behind her ear without saying a word.

He was patient, but she could feel him waiting. As long as she'd known him, Loki was always eager to listen. He'd hear her every whim and woe. But something gave her pause. "I had another meeting with S.H.I.E.L.D. today," she finally said. "I met with the director in person this time." Loki sat up a bit straighter, but he still quietly waited for her to continue. "People are dying. Fury blames you."

"That's not surprising." His response was more matter-of-fact than she had wanted it to be.

"He showed me things," she continued quietly when he didn't elaborate. "From the last time you came to Earth." She paused, trying to read his reaction, but without seeing his face – and even if she could – it was difficult. "There's a lot you haven't told me."

"I told you enough to scare you more than once. I had hoped that would be sufficient." That was a _don't ask_ if ever she'd heard one.

But she remembered the Loki that first approached her in that cell – the same Loki she'd only hours ago seen spear somebody through the chest. It wasn't like she didn't know. Loki had killed for her before and she wholeheartedly believed he would kill for her again. However, she had barely any conception of what he was really capable of and Fury had made that all the more evident. His hushed confessions offered within her cell, secrets forever safe within those walls had provided her a way to accept the things he'd done. But Loki was the god of mischief and lies after all. No. She needed the truth. She needed to hear it from him. And she needed to hear it now, without their intimate captivity to make it all seem so safe.

"Fury wants to turn me against you," Naomi said. "And I won't lie, his evidence was incriminating. But I want to hear it from you, Loki." She turned to face him, but he wouldn't meet her eyes. "I'm not stupid. I know what you did. Everyone does. You came here to kill everyone. I saw the news. I saw the wormhole. But I want you to tell me why. I want you to tell me everything. I love you, Loki. And I trust you, but I have to know the truth."

Loki met her gaze and he looked honestly defeated. He sat up, pulling her closer again. "You wish to know the worst of me."

"I want to know all of you."

For some reason, Loki always behaved like he was the only person in the universe that hated certain things about himself. There was so much he was tortured to share. And no amount of coaxing ever made him feel better about it. No matter how close they were, on some level, Loki would always believe himself alone.

"I've spent much of my childhood in my brother's shadow, this you know. Centuries as the second son. Odin had such grand ambitions that I did not fill and Thor did by leaps and bounds. But I found my own ambitions. If you wish to know what I am truly capable of then I shall be forthright. I made a deal with the devil. Your planet for a trinket. Why? Because I deserved it. Because for all I suffered, I had earned a world of my own to rule. There was not a single moment when I felt sorry for the lives I destroyed. Not until meeting you. Not a moment before."

That was almost touching, she thought for a moment. But that was the point, she supposed. The end goal of all her suffering was to see if Loki had any humanity left at all. "Fury will tell you that I lack empathy. Or maybe he would just tell you I'm selfish. That no matter what, my problems are bigger than yours. And that somehow justifies any and all of my atrocities. Maybe I believe that, maybe I don't. You, however, are living proof that I am capable of sympathy, empathy, something other than pain and death. But I've told you before and I'll tell you again: I am a monster."

She felt it before she saw it. His hands went icy cold, so cold her whole body shivered. So cold his hands turned blue. The deep, rich hue rolled up his arms until the whole of his body was covered. His arms were marked in raised lines that wrapped all the way around until they stretched across his bare chest and spread as far as the sheets revealed. And when he looked up, she was met with a pair of blood red eyes. "I should have shown you before." When he spoke his teeth were sharp. His features were dark, but it had very little to do with this new skin.

"This is you?" she asked quietly. She never let go. Her hands had numbed in his, but she couldn't let go. Not now.

"We're called frost giants. I come from a world of cold and ice and death. A world I nearly destroyed. I would have eradicated an entire race. Before that I came within a breath of killing my brother, more than once. I murdered my birth father shortly after. If I am being truthful," he emphasized, "I am capable of _anything_."

Naomi withdrew, but only for a moment when the cold against her hands spiked so sharp it burned. But she didn't move. She sat still, stayed close. And he watched her with intense scrutiny. If she knew anything about him – and she liked to think she knew quite a bit – he was waiting for her to run. He waited for her to show fear. To validate his claims. They'd been through this before.

 _"All that was done to you, I could have easily done myself – I have! And no matter what I do – no matter how much I regret – it will never change anything."_

For a moment, she let her mind wallow in a place she hadn't allowed it to go since her escape. There were true horrors behind her now. She'd met real monsters down there and Loki was not one of them. _"You will_ never _be a monster to me."_ Fury was wrong. Maybe at one time he hadn't been, but people _do_ change. What happened to them would change anyone.

Her hands were bright pink where they'd met his touch. His anger reflected in frost that crawled up his wrists. But it wasn't all bad, was it? When she'd been sick, his hands were a cool press upon her wounds. A balm to an endless ache. She reached for him and Loki's gaze was almost daring. If he didn't believe she would do it, then he didn't know her at all. It didn't burn like before, his skin was just cold. The thin layer of ice melted away where she touched. Her fingers followed the lines that twined around his arms. They were raised; more like scars than the markings they appeared to be. She traced them across his chest, down across his midsection until her fingers met the sheets. And she would swear she felt him shiver.

She moved into his lap, no doubt feeling him stir uncomfortably beneath her. Her naked skin only ghosted his, but she could see the way he reacted. Her wandering fingers reached his neck, following the strong line of his jaw. She watched his eyes intently. Up close, they were not entirely red. Well, they were but not in the demonic way it had appeared before. There was still a pupil to follow, but it wasn't black, more a dark maroon. The iris was the same. A slightly different shade of red. But they were still his. As dramatic as the color was, she could still read the discomfort in his expression, the way he couldn't focus on any one thing for too long. Had she not known him, he would've just looked tired. Naomi knew better. He was afraid.

Her thumbs met his forehead, following the half moon shaped mark that rested across his brow. After that, she dragged her fingers through his long black hair, still a mess from earlier. "Are all frost giants as pretty as you?" She offered her usual air of sarcasm, but she meant it. He was as beautiful as always.

"No. Most of them are true to their name. Ice-laden and enormous. I'm a runt by Jotun standards."

"Your slight frame suits you."

She pulled him closer, her arms curling under his so his chest was flush with hers. Her whole body was covered in goose bumps, but she didn't let go. "Thank you for showing me."

"My every secret is yours, Naomi." It almost sounded painful for him to admit that. "I would not have you doubt me on account of such things. Fury speaks of my past, but not our future." His arms closed around her just as she remembered, although his nails felt a bit longer than before. "I'm sorry."

"I love you too." She leaned closer and kissed him. But they both pulled away, effectively startled by the hiss of steam that escaped between them. Loki's eyes were wide with embarrassment when she looked up again. "What was that?" she laughed.

"Your mouth is very hot," he admitted, his breath a little faster now.

Naomi cocked an eyebrow. "Oh is it?"

The look of realization that crossed his face was worth a thousand words for sure, as she leaned back in with clear intent. "Naomi, no."

"Just a taste," she cooed, her lips meeting his neck.

"Naomi-" Her kiss was already drifting lower down his chest. She felt his claws dig into her back. " _Naomi_."

He turned them over in a huff, his blue skin fading as fast as it had come, his eyes returning to their normal, mischievous shade of green. "You're no fun," she whined underneath him.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" he growled, closing in for her once more.

"This is my planet. I make the bedtime."

"Well I hope you don't mind we're pushing it back a few more hours."

Naomi couldn't help but smile. Some people go their entire lives without hearing news that good.

* * *

There you have it! Officially reunited at last! So I played with this chapter for a long time because it was obviously very important! And I know this is something a lot of you have been long waiting for. I hope it lives up to your expectations! I threw a little Jotun Loki in there because I just can't help myself. I hope you like it! I'd love to hear what you guys think! Please, please, please send me your reviews! Your words give me life lol There may or may not be a two week gap until the next chapter. Depends on how much editing I get done. But fret not, it will be no longer that, I promise! See you soon, my lovelies! And happy reading!


	6. Chapter 6

In the morning he was gone. Or rather, by the time Naomi woke up the following afternoon, he was long gone. She rolled over, all the way over until she met the other side of the bed. Nope, definitely gone. But his subtle scent remained; imbedded in the sheets for a short while. He never stayed until morning, not since their first night together before he'd brought her home. He'd stay the night, but he was always gone by morning. It was never really a great way to start the day, but for now she could relax surrounded by what little of him remained. A hint of deep woods and fresh air. The subtlest breath of his magic. That was always more of a feeling than a smell, although her mind still classified it like a scent. She could never put it into words regardless.

The memories were still fresh. The aches in her muscles still prominent. Such small mercies kept her mind quiet for just a little while longer. For a few moments longer, she could pretend like he was still there, arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the shit-storm that seemed to constantly surround her nowadays. For a few moments longer, she could live without worry or fear or anger. For a few moments longer, she could just lay there feeling boneless and content without a care in the world.

Of course, she slowly became aware of the reality that surrounded her. Her hair was a mess. Her sheets were tangled and pulled up from the mattress. The room was too warm for her liking. She could hear the TV in the other room. Several long months in a quiet cell made her very fond of the silence. God she missed having her apartment all to herself, without the constant intrusion of concerned family members. Without reporters hounding her every chance they could. Without S.H.I.E.L.D. probing and spying on her every move. _Her thoughts too probably._

And with that nauseating thought, she sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Her alarm clock read 12:47pm, which wasn't all that surprising. She didn't recall when they'd stayed up till, but it was nearly morning for sure. She stretched the few hours of sleep from her back, before knotting her fingers in her thoroughly tangled hair. Time to greet the day and whoever was intruding in her living room. She sat up, listening to the sounds of some daytime program about birds. Well it definitely wasn't her mother, at least. Her best guess was Evie. So she did come back after all. With that, she finally pulled herself out of bed to investigate.

And also for food. The smells of homemade breakfast were a wonderful motivator.

She dragged her feet into the kitchen, catching a glance at the back of Evie's head before the remains of whatever she'd cooked up distracted her. Evie could eat like she was twice her size, but this was definitely more than she would've made for just herself. There was enough bacon and scrambled eggs to sink a small boat. "Are we expecting anyone else?" she asked through a mouthful of cold bacon and buttered toast.

"Yea, but I figured she'd wake up eventually."

Naomi threw her a look over her shoulder. "I was up until 4am and you still weren't back, what's your excuse?"

"Well when you didn't come home for dinner or our preplanned movie night – no call, no show – I took up a friend's invitation for a night out. I had plenty of drinks on your behalf; don't worry. Obviously, I couldn't drive back, so I stayed at her place. Looks like it's a good thing I did."

She hadn't passed a mirror on her way out here, but she was pretty sure that a copious amount of sex wasn't evident in her expression – her hair maybe – but Evie always seemed to notice anyway.

"For your information, I got picked up by S.H.I.E.L.D. again last night," she said, filling up a plate with more room temperature breakfast food. "And not surprisingly, they don't have very good cell service." She plopped down beside her on the sofa.

"And S.H.I.E.L.D. had you up until 4am did they?"

Naomi stared at her with an eyebrow raised all the way up to her hairline. She chewed on another piece of bacon, trying to figure her out. Evie didn't look phased. "Oh come on. How do you always know? It's not like he hangs a sock on my door handle."

"I have my ways." Evie grabbed a piece of her toast, bit it and then quickly put it back on her plate. "You know you have a microwave _and_ a toaster right?" Naomi went back to her food with a roll of her eyes. "Your man is very good at finding ways to keep you for himself when he visits. And besides that, you'd avoid a party for the sake of sleep on a regular basis; what else would keep you up all night? Or who, I guess I should ask."

 _Fair enough point._ She shoved a few finger-fulls of egg into her mouth, most definitely dropping some on the couch. "I may not have spent as many nights here with you as mom has lately, but I know you don't sleep all that well anymore. Except for when he's here." Naomi made no comment on that. The TV program about birds had suddenly become very interesting. "When I came back this morning and you were still sawing logs, I figured it best not to wake you."

 _Thank god for that._ There was some sort of saying about moms knowing everything, but Evie was at least two steps above that without even trying. "Thank you."

"So what did S.H.I.E.L.D. want?"

Did she even need to ask? It was always the same shit with them. And they would continue to hound her until she told them whatever it was they wanted to hear. As much as she wanted to, not even _she_ was capable of fabricating a story they'd be happy to hear. She glanced up at the TV to see that the bird show had been interrupted by a breaking news story.

"That. They wanted to know about that."

The small TV was awash with red ticker tapes announcing another attack like the one S.H.I.E.L.D. had told her about. Fury had failed to offer her video proof of that, but what other horrible bombing could he possibly be talking about. _Probably best not to think about that._ Evie turned up the volume and they could hear one of the reporters voice narrating the horrific footage. They were reporting of multiple explosions happening live from their hometown not more than thirty miles away. The cameras shook with ongoing destruction. Buildings crumbled in the background of reporters risking their lives for a story.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. told you about this? Naomi this is live. This is home."

"Not this particular attack. There have been others. They think Loki is responsible."

"Why would they think that?"

"I don't know. Something about it is registering as otherworldly and they're looking for somebody to blame."

The report briefly moved away from the live recording to studio coverage discussing the previous attacks that had occurred over the past few days. Fury had been more than vague in what he said to her about this. Seeing it live on the news made it seem so much worse. They showed footage and photos from previous attacks that had occurred over the past few days. And she was disturbed to recognize every single one of the prior locations. There were six locations previously victimized by these bombings and each one was an old apartment or a favorite vacation spot or a frequented store from her past. And that brought an uncomfortable knot to the pit of her stomach.

"Naomi? Are you all right? What is it?"

She could feel Evelyn's worried gaze on her, like she was going to fall into one of her panic attacks again. No. Not yet. Not this time. Loki was still fresh in her mind and for the moment that was all the clarity she needed. "There's something they're not telling me," she said quietly.

"Well yeah. That place has spies for their spies. They're not the most telling group of people."

"Maybe they don't know," she continued to herself.

 _Assuming they don't know every god damn thing about me._ It was possible they didn't know. It was possible they hadn't made the connection. Or it was possible it was only a coincidence. _But how could it be?_ Perhaps two or three but not all of them. No, something about that was wrong.

She watched as the chaos unfolded across the newsreels. The death toll was climbing and from the looks of it, these attacks were getting closer. S.H.I.E.L.D. would never elaborate of their own accord. And she had to know the truth, what with this newfound paranoia warming the blood in her veins. Loki hadn't seemed too concerned, but he was also worlds away with plenty of his own problems to deal with. Nope, she would have to do this the old fashioned way.

She abandoned her plate on the table and was quickly collecting herself. Within five minutes her hair was tied up and she'd found a pair of shoes to throw on.

"I'll be back in a little while. Thanks for breakfast." She grabbed a jacket and was immediately on her way.

Evie called after her. And once she'd shut the door behind her, she could hear the texts coming in. There was no need to worry her. Not yet at least.

Loki returned home, slipping easily between realms without Heimdall or Odin being any the wiser. Thor knew, but after everything that happened, he kept his mouth shut. He took the long way back to his chambers, strolling through quiet halls, allowing his mind a little room to breathe. Since his youth, he'd walked thousands of miles through this palace. He knew every inch of these halls, but with each passing day they seemed to close in tighter around him. He had assumed that once he escaped the confining walls of his dungeon cell that such a feeling would fade. No such luck, unfortunately. If anything, the feeling was worse. Walls that had once represented the only home he'd ever known, were now foreign.

He remembered, still with clarity, running through these halls as children with Thor at his side. Or as Thor would tell it, he would tail along behind him on his big brother's crusades. Regardless, there was a time so shortly passed when he felt safe here. Protected by the palace walls. Protected by the parents that raised him. But the truth destroyed all of that. Odin would say that crimes against the entire universe destroyed all of that. But he would say with the utmost sincerity that his life as he had known it was doomed from the start.

 _But none of that matters now._

No, soon he'd escape this wretched hovel and disappear into the far reaches of a world away from this one, with Naomi at his side. And no one else. Not the Allfather. Not Thor. Not anyone.

He passed one of the outdoor atriums on the way back to his quarters. It wasn't quite as he remembered it from the last time he meandered by. For as long as he could remember it was an ornate golden dome with nothing inside of it but a large fountain arrangement. While he couldn't see the entire room from the hallway, he was fairly sure the floor was not previously grass covered. He stopped and caught a very familiar aroma. Loki made a small noise to himself before he stepped outside. _Mother._

Her smile blossomed before Loki had even come into her view. She sat in the grass beside the fountain, among the flowers newly planted. As if sensing Loki's questioning gaze, she said "If I don't bring a little life to this place, no one will."

"These cold, stone walls do not favor such things."

She hummed contemplatively. "These walls held warmth once. And no matter how long ago it was, that's hope enough for me." The measured turn of her wrist, a quiet call upon her sei∂r, and the freshly planted flora blossomed before their eyes. The sun poured through the intricate carvings above, bathing her work in light. Perhaps even the warmth she spoke of. "What troubles you, Loki?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary." His response was almost robotic. And why shouldn't it be? They were tales he'd grown tired of telling.

"You once enjoyed little hideaways like this," Frigga divulged when he only stood there in silence. "You told me that they were your only place of refuge until we built your private study."

"That was centuries ago."

"Some things never change." Sometimes Loki swore she saw him as a child when she looked at him. She saw the innocent teenaged version of himself. There was a time, long ago, when he would've sought out a place like this. Once Thor and his friends found all of his usual hiding places, he'd become a little more desperate for sheltered places like this, far off the beaten path. He'd bring along his favorite spell books and make himself scarce for a while. But as he said, that was centuries ago. Once Frigga erected his private study, he had no reason to look elsewhere for shelter. He built a veritable fortress of enchantments around that place. Loki sighed. Nowadays, not even that could afford him the peace and solitude he sought.

"How's Naomi?"

Loki stiffened slightly out of habit. Nobody was supposed to know. He didn't want anyone to know. She was his. But he'd come to realize long ago that his mother simply knew everything, as modest as she was about it. "I don't want to talk about her."

"Seems you don't want to talk about much of anything anymore."

True as it was, it sounded much worse coming from her. "She'd be better if I could see her more often."

"I would imagine so."

 _What? That's it? No reaction at all?_ Somehow that made him angrier than if she had simply told him he'd earned this or that it was all happening for a reason. But she didn't say anything more, just went back to her flowers. Loki looked closer and saw what she was doing. They'd played these games many times before. If she thought her silence would make him talk, she was wrong. Naomi was his. And there was little information about him that had become more guarded and more precious than what he shared with her.

"Your father isn't doing well." Loki was so distracted by that abrupt change of subject he completely forgot to correct her. _He most assuredly is not my father._ There were glimmers from his past that could have convinced someone otherwise, but when it came right down to biology they were as far from family as they could ever be. _Then am I not your mother?_ Well, technically no. But she loved him. If he was certain of nothing else, he was certain she loved him. With Odin, the line between he and his brother had always been easy to see. But with Frigga, her love for them was equal and unending as much as he denied it. Of course, at the end of the day, she stood by the Allfather even after learning what he had done.

"He's just overdue for his nap, I'm sure," Loki quipped mercilessly.

"Not this time," she replied, her motions among the flowers slowing.

"Whatever it is, I am certain he's earned it." That bastard would've said the same of him. They were words not spoken privately after all. The Allfather had publicly disowned him and nothing else mattered.

Frigga grew still, as if she'd remembered something she had wanted to forget. "Odin has grown distant since your release. Contrary to your beliefs, there is true regret in his heart. I suspected the Odin-sleep would be soon upon him. But this is different. These past few days he is different." The genuine worry in her voice stilled any retort he would have offered. "Loki there is something more at work here."

 _So she had seen something after all._

Loki knelt down in the grass beside her. His mother was always calm. Even in instances of intense panic, Frigga had a cool head. Cooler than most in fact. And he could still see that now, but her features were ingrained with anxiety. She sighed and then went back to what she was doing as if they hadn't had the conversation at all. It wasn't often that she divulged the visions her foresight provided her. She knew as well as any in the mystic arts that the future was subjective and could be changed at the very mentioning of what she saw. In fact, she hadn't spoken of such things since before his attack on Earth, when she and the rest of the Realm realized he had survived his fall into Yggdrassil.

"Naomi is having trouble adjusting," Loki admitted. "She's a fighter, but Midgard has not been kind to her since her return."

Frigga took his hand and offered him a smile. "I have seen only glimpses, Loki," she said to him in return. "But I warn you, all is not as it seems. I would ask that you put aside your feud with Odin and keep your eyes open. Please."

Loki said nothing, but he couldn't ignore her sincerity. If she'd found something worthy of concern, then he would heed her warning. But not for Odin. No. Never for Odin. And if he somehow put them in danger again, he would be the one in need of warning.

* * *

Trouble is brewing? Well obviously! Sorry for the delay on this one. Work and life and adulting. Wahhh! Anyway! We're moving forward with some plot stuff. I actually really love this chapter. To me, it feels very honest and casual. It's just life at it's simplest for both of them and I really enjoyed writing it. I've gotten a lot of reviews with a lot of awesome commentaries. Please keep it coming! I love to hear everyone's thoughts and ideas! Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

Any normal human would have plenty of qualms about a five-mile walk to the public library in order to use a computer. Naomi on the other hand, or at least the post-imprisonment version of herself, would look for any excuse to get out of her own house. Even today, when it was only Evelyn's mostly pleasant company to deal with. When her mother was being particularly obtrusive, it was obvious. On afternoons like this, she couldn't really explain what drove her to separate herself from her – well everyone. Something about being surrounded by four walls. But she knew without a doubt she wanted to ostracize herself from everyone. So she took the five-mile walk in stride and even picked up an iced coffee on the way. Despite the stuff she'd seen on the news that prompted this journey in the first place, she was still in good spirits after Loki's visit. _Mine as well make the most of the motivation._

In the time prior to her abduction, it had been a major irritation even to drive to the library for the sake of using a computer. She had one, but it caught a virus somewhere along the line and she didn't have the disposable income to fix it or buy a new one. Upon her return and being almost instantly swarmed by reporters from every damn paper and news station in the tri-state area, she found every nook and cranny of solitude that existed around here. Fortunately for her sudden lack of vehicle, courtesy of her mother, many of these places she'd found were within walking distance. Her new definition of walking distance anyway.

The public library was the next best place, next to a church, as far as avoiding publicity. Naomi didn't worry about that as bad as she used to, not since some divine force – probably S.H.I.E.L.D. – intervened. But back when they did still trail her like vultures, this particular library offered her sanctuary and ensured the reporters couldn't follow her in. Talk about librarians restoring faith in humanity.

She pushed through the revolving doors that had at one point been viciously guarded by old ladies in horn-rimmed glasses. They greeted her with a tad more enthusiasm than the others. To this day, she wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that. But if they wanted to look out for her, she certainly wasn't going to argue, so long as they didn't start asking questions like most potential friendlies did. They were probably extra friendly today because she strolled in carrying a cheap coffee and she was still wearing her pajamas. Maybe they just thought she was insane. She slept in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She only looked slightly more like a bum than she normally did. _Oh, whatever._

Naomi smiled in passing before she trashed what remained of her beverage and began her search for the most isolated, vacant computer.

There was an obvious lack of privacy with researching in a public library. Anyone and their mother could easily glance over her shoulder and see what she was looking up. But by the same token, it was the safest place to do Internet snooping since the history was erased on a daily basis. That wouldn't stop S.H.I.E.L.D. from probing, but there was something to be said about peace of mind, however small.

She parked herself in the back corner, behind the research section, the one that stocks about six hundred identical books about court cases and other stuff that people aren't frequently looking up. Case in point, nobody hung out back here. So she started digging.

At first, it was just article after article about the bombings: where they occurred and all the details she could find on them. If she had any doubt they were connected, she didn't anymore. They all began with a single explosion and in the panic that ensued after, as many as three more smaller bombings followed. Not to mention the fact they had all only occurred over the past few days. From what she could collect via hundreds of articles and videos, there was none of the usual particulate to confirm what type of device caused the explosions. But that fact was consistent among all of them. Authorities told the press that so far not enough material remained to determine the type of bomb was used. On top of that, there were a lot of deaths surrounding these attacks that were very clearly not caused by an explosion of any kind.

There were stab wounds not caused by shrapnel, but they couldn't elaborate on that any further. There were no photos but from what she could gather, they didn't know what caused them. Some sources reported that they were more akin to burns. And it was things like this that had the media speculating on something otherworldly. Something in direct correlation with the events of New York.

Her fingers brushed the back of her hand, ghosting a scar that was only in her memory, from when the magic barrier burned her skin. Magic was a funny thing that she would never understand, but she believed that it was capable of something like this. Loki would know. But he hadn't seemed all that concerned when she brought it up. Not that that surprised her.

However, her newest discovery would have peaked even Loki's concerns. She was wrist deep in one of several vending machine snacks when she found exactly what she'd set out to find. What had only been a suspicion when she left the house was now set it stone. Each and every attack had occurred in a location that bore serious significance to her, present and past. The towns of her previous homes had been hit with considerable proximity to where she had actually resided. The home she was raised in, her elementary school, her first apartment, even the public park her family had once visited on a regular basis. The coincidence theory was long out the window.

Whatever was going on was somehow connected to her. Boy did that bring a nauseous turn to her stomach. She set her snacks aside. _Makes sense. What would I do without yet another dumb fuck thing to complicate my life?_

She sent about three-dozen pages worth of evidence to the printer. Supposedly it was free to print until you hit some inordinate number of pages, so she would suck up all the toner she could until someone started requesting money. While she waited for the printer, methodically spitting out papers, she had half a mind to start researching scrying or other such witchcraft to contact Loki about her findings. She wasn't crazy. There was something going on here, but the Internet didn't have answers like that. If S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't know, then no one posting conspiracy theories on the web would either.

Naomi fiddled with a cheeto before eventually throwing it back in the bag. She scrolled through the reports of the New York attack as she waited. The testimony confirmed what happened that day. Thousands of people said the same thing over and over again. The official statements that were released were not at all helpful. They were just as repetitive but even more useless. While they couldn't deny that it was absolutely an alien attack, they had little to say about it otherwise. Typical.

There was nothing about Loki. There were a few exceptionally crappy photos stolen from security cameras and super blurry still shots from cell phone cameras that could have been him. His giant, horned, golden helmet was hard to miss even with the bad quality. But there was nothing like what Fury had shown her. Well, there was one actually. Embedded deep in one of those poorly made conspiracy sites, she found a recording that was dated before the attack on New York. The beginning was just chaos and panic and what sounded like frantically spoken German. And then there was Loki. He slammed a scepter and silenced the crowd. And then the screen flooded with subtitles.

 _"Is this not simpler? Is this not your natural state? It's the unspoken truth of humanity, that you crave subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes your life's joy in a mad scramble for power, for identity. You were made to be ruled. In the end, you will always kneel."_

One old man stood up to Loki's speech. _"Not to men like you."_

 _"There are no men like me."_

Naomi remembered that smile. She remembered the way Loki taunted her. There was nothing human about him when he spoke to her through the glass that day. Every word he'd breathed was laced with malice, just like it was in this video.

 _"There are always men like you,"_ the old man replied.

 _"Look to your elder, people. Let him be an example."_

And then he fired. He'd have killed that old man with a smile on his face had the stars and stripes not dropped in just in the nick of time to save him. And that wasn't even the worst of it. According to the text speculation that followed, there were reports that he'd ripped out someone's eyeball. _Oh lovely._ And with that the good spirits leftover from Loki's visit officially evaporated.

With a begrudging sigh, she sent a dozen more pages to the printer.

"Fuck you, Fury."

The rest of Loki's walk was even quieter than before.

He couldn't help but feel angry. She had basically asked that he keep an eye out for Odin, after everything he did to him – to them. How could she expect him to do that? Why had she even bothered to ask? _Because I won't._ If there's something larger at work here, as his mother had said, then he deserved whatever it was. Unless of course, by larger she was implying that people other than Odin would be at risk. People like Naomi. But then again, that's probably why she'd asked about her in the first place.

 _No. Mother wouldn't do that._ If there was anyone else who genuinely cared about Naomi it was Frigga. She simply had the misfortune of having other people to think about.

Loki slammed his door behind him. Oh what he wouldn't give to be free of this place. He envied his silent days in the dungeon like he never had before. In his youth, he had craved solitude, but now he just wanted peace. _Freedom is life's great lie. Once you accept that, in your heart, you will know peace._ He could never deny the words were his own, however, the mind stone had helped twist even his once perverted logic. The scepter spoke in whispers that goaded his obsessive need for power. To be free from freedom – to be back in the dungeons – it almost made sense now. Damn everything else, his year and a half spent down there had changed everything. And while his life would always be changing, shapeshifter and all around deviant that he was, what happened down there was permanent.

There are some things that simply cannot be unseen – undone.

He remembered her here, seeing her cross his threshold for the first time. He saw her take in the space like she'd never seen anything like it before. It was just a room. _Well, rooms._ But she marveled at it because it was his. Then again, he could recall quite clearly the way he'd taken in her home the first time he saw it.

It had been a month. And she told him later that she had waited, knowing that at any second he would return for her. In spite of that, he scared the devil out of her. Only the first of many times he would not so accidentally get her dishware broken. But after he'd let himself in and caused an initial scattering of cutlery, what followed was one of those moments never to be unseen.

No one had ever been happier to see him. No one. _Ever._ He'd returned home from thousands of battles in his long lifetime, but there had never been a welcome like hers. He saw an enormous weight lifted from her shoulders – instant relief that the whole thing hadn't been a dream. Or a lie. Her arms surrounded him in panic. Her hands were everywhere. Her voice was shrill with excitement. And she cried. She welled up with tears, assuredly the happy kind. _Presumably._ All of this madness lasted for a pleasant eternity.

Naomi smiled at him. "I missed you, Loki."

She led him through her home and showed him the life she'd begun to live since he'd left her. It was modest, by far, compared to his quarters. Where his was tapestries and libraries, hers was a two-bedroom arrangement with one and a half bathrooms. _How can you have only half of a bathroom?_ Sparse furnishings and meager decorations. It was a homier version of her cell. Just enough, but still warm and comfortable. While he'd never understand Thor's love for this planet as a whole, there were things he discovered that day that might one day change his mind. Things like microwave popcorn – _which was absolute sorcery, by the way_ – and an unending supply of theatrical productions varying from overly dramatic to overly violent. He enjoyed a long day reading alone, but a long day curled up with Naomi at his side, watching these wonderfully archaic recordings was even better.

It was one of the most wonderful days of his life. But it ended, like all of his visits did, and since then it seemed each one got shorter and shorter and the distance between them longer and longer.

He sat down in one of his big armchairs, throwing his feet up on the table. A small stack of non-fiction hit the floor shortly after. One of his ongoing chess games – another one of Earth's lovely inventions – was slightly disturbed. He dragged his hands over his face as he sunk deeper into his chair. He would never protect the Allfather. Naomi, however, there was no limit to how far he would go. _I promised I would protect you and I will do so no matter the cost._

Loki thought for a moment that he might do a little reading. For a moment, he thought he might make something of today, but remembering where he'd been only a few hours ago, nothing seemed worth it. And the tiredness from a lack of sleep last night weighed on him pretty heavily anyway.

With only a thought, he shrouded the room in darkness and reluctantly dragged himself from the chair into his bed. The furs and sheets were as comfortable as they had always been, but Naomi's bed was better or, for that matter, any bed she presided in. Her body was so warm. Her skin so soft. And even if he laid awake the entire night at her side, that night would be perfect. Just to watch over her and know that she was safe and his.

 _You will know peace._

He remembered her body bathed in soft evening light, the one and only night that she stayed here. He remembered the way she curled against him, her back pressed to his chest. The gentle rise and fall of her body was the most perfect reassurance. Her hair was spread out on the pillow, breathing her subtle scent. Yes, that's what peace felt like.

Loki vanished his clothes, opting for more comfortable attire. And then he slept, holding those memories as close as he could before his dreams drifted in to sweep them away.

* * *

It's so mundane and I love it lol. And also a glimpse into their earlier visitations. Netflix and chill? Reunion date of champions if you ask me lol I don't know why, but I felt adamant that the idea of bingewatching whatever tv show with a full bowl of popcorn (or three) would be very appealing to Loki. Anyway, trouble continues to brew. But next chapter, that polite simmer turns to a boil. Shit's bout to go down. woot. Have fun! And happy reading!


	8. Chapter 8

Loki sat in his usual spot on the floor, his back pressed against the wall, surrounded by small mountains of books. It was as quiet as it always was. Pages turned. Stone walls. Misplaced furniture. Glass. The persistent hum of magic. Darkness permeated only by artificial light. He turned another page. That fast, he'd already forgotten what the last page had been about. And the one before. And the one before that. _What book am I even reading?_ He turned it over in his hands and for as long as he stared at the cover, his mind made no connection. There were words but they wouldn't stay still. Words and letters jumbled. Runes bled into long lines that failed to convey anything more.

Somehow he found himself turning the pages again as if it were some habitual action he wasn't capable of stopping. And then he began to notice another sound that hadn't been there a moment before. _Or had it?_ It was water. Maybe. Running water. Splashing as the stream was randomly interrupted. But it wasn't just water. It was humming. At first, it was humming, but slowly it formed a melodic tone. One he hadn't heard in a long time. Her voice would forever be recognizable, either in word or song, but she never seemed to sing the same song twice. So the lyrics would always seem foreign. This time, the song was just as jumbled as the book cover had been, but somehow he knew it.

"I know you like this song," Naomi called from beyond his line of sight. Loki couldn't help but smile, his eyes still following the dancing words on the page. "I hear you hum it sometimes," she taunted. Her head poked out from around the corner where her shower was hidden. Her wet hair was wrapped in a purple towel that matched the others in her bathroom. She gave him a menacing smile before disappearing again and continuing her song even louder than before.

She emerged a few moments later fully clothed in a dress he wasn't sure was hers. It was dark blue with bright orange and white flowers. Her hair was dry and it was halfway between what he'd come to know as normal and the messy state it had succumbed to during her incarceration. Naomi sauntered across her cell, barefoot as usual. She settled into her usual spot on the floor, after leveling him the telling look she always had. He caught her eyes over the top of his book. She laid down and went back to her doodling like nothing had changed at all.

"I've missed this," she said. "I'd give it all up to be here again."

Loki looked up and she was as she had been: a white tank top and torn shorts. Bruises included. He finally put the book aside and sat up, but by the time he'd centered his gaze on her, she'd moved again. She was lounging on his bed, which was now the centerpiece of her cell. It still looked like she was drawing something but the only thing in front of her was a pillow. "What's on your mind, pretty boy?"

"Mother thinks something is wrong."

"Wrong with me?" Loki shook his head. "Wrong with us?"

"No."

"Then what does it matter?"

He looked away. _It shouldn't matter._ But it did. His mind was a mess with matters that hadn't crossed his thoughts in a long time.

Yesterday hadn't been the expected commendations by a long shot, but learning that the Allfather wasn't doing well of late – it was almost a pleasant surprise. He couldn't help but remember his brief time upon the throne. He had earned it. But he also remembered the horrid look of disappointment that followed, as he fell from the Bifrost, only to be swallowed by the branches of Yggdrasil. If Odin had ever felt the remorse his mother spoke of, it was then. _"I could have done it, father. For you. For all of us."_ But his fall through space had shredded his every need for anything remotely redeeming.

When Loki looked up again, she was gone. Her drawings remained, but her cell was empty. It looked like it had when they left, before it had been cleaned. Her minimal personal effects were scattered throughout, as well as the few gifts he'd provided her over the months. And the bloodstain of the guard he'd killed remained. Everything was as he remembered it, now with far more clarity than his troubles with the book before. But he was alone.

"I must admit this wasn't what I expected." He appeared from nowhere, standing alone in the center of her cell. For a moment, he didn't make sense. His form was perfectly clear, but his features somehow remained indistinct. His well-polished shoe scuffed the floor, the sole marring some of Naomi's scribblings. "Definitely not what I expected of the _would-be_ king of Asgard."

Loki looked up and suddenly his features made sense. _Rurik._ He had his hands tucked into the pockets of a tailored suit, indicative of Midgard. He stared at Loki with an emotion he could only describe as smugness. He looked for the words to respond but ultimately nothing came out.

"So this is where it happened?" Rurik continued, eyes wandering the cell. "This is where you turned into another tool of the Allfather." Loki stood up angry as ever, but still, words evaded him. "You became another pawn in his game," he growled. "And now you're a pawn in mine." His smile brought a genuine chill to his spine.

He summoned a weapon, any weapon. His sei∂r burned at his fingertips, but nothing came. And he heard Rurik laugh. He looked around his cell, but in the long moment that had passed, the room had emptied. No books. No furniture. No nothing. Not a weapon in sight.

Loki looked up again and the dungeons around him were gone. He stood in his little glass box surrounded by the throne room and Rurik lounging on the throne. "This is awfully cozy, isn't it? Lots of leg room." Loki was a fury of silent gestures. No matter how loud he shouted it didn't even feel like his lips were moving. Rurik made a few mocking hand motions. "Yes, of course. You're wondering how I got here. It's really very simple." He stood, straightening himself like he'd been sitting on something filthy. And then he crossed the room to meet him before Loki had even blinked. His whisper, so close to his ear, was sickening. "You let me in."

Loki awoke in a panic, frantically attempting to escape the sheets and Rurik's unsettling presence. But it lingered like a foul smell far longer than should've been possible. His entire body was covered in goosebumps as he struggled to force him out. He knew without even thinking that it wasn't only a dream – a nightmare. Some part of that was real. He could still feel his strange Vanir magic hanging in his quarters. But that wasn't possible. _It's not possible._

He wiped the sweat from his face as he finally escaped his bed. The room felt like it was teetering back and forth. If he suddenly hit the floor, it would not have surprised him. He hadn't felt this genuinely nauseated in ages. He could still feel the intrusion – the bad taste of tainted sei∂r. _Rurik._ Memories of his time in the dungeons with Naomi flashed through his mind – fresh from the dream that had preceded Rurik's invasion. It all felt wrong somehow.

When he managed to push aside the immediate panic, he looked in on Naomi to ensure that she was all right. His eyes closed, his focus centered and he saw her not far from where he'd left her, perfectly okay. No sign that anything had happened. She was taking a hard whack at a big black box that was currently beeping and spitting out crumpled sheets of paper. Other than her normal level of frustration, she was all right. _She's all right. She's all right._ He couldn't help the small sigh of relief that escaped him. _She's all right._ And he slowly collected his thoughts again.

A moment later he was in the bathroom, splashing cold water on himself. He watched the water slowly drip into the basin, his mind swirling, attempting to figure out how Rurik got in. _You let me in._ Not possible, he thought. Loki's magic had been honed over centuries since he was a child. He knew better than to leave his mind so unguarded. After seeing Rurik that day on Vanaheim, he could admit he felt uneasy, but by the next day, Loki had forgotten he existed. Until now, at least. He felt as Rurik's presence dissipated, leaving only the remnants of his conversation with his mother several hours earlier. It was only the early evening given his now very messed up sleep schedule.

He didn't know where to begin, but he knew where his train of thought came to an abrupt halt. _Odin._ The Allfather's ghostly presence lingered even longer than Rurik's did. He could barely believe it, but his sei∂r didn't lie. Loki's knuckles tightened against the sink – any harder and it might have cracked. It was not to say that Odin was not magically inclined, but compared to his mother who came from a long line of Vanir practitioners, the Allfather didn't make nearly that much use of it. But rest assured, he could use it as a tool of war when the occasion called for it. Before learning he'd kidnapped Naomi and condemned her to die, he might have questioned what the Allfather was capable of, but now – the best case scenario he was just spying on him, but the worst case did not bear thinking about.

Everything in the room shifted uncomfortably when he sei∂r surged. _He wouldn't dare._ But if he did, then Frigga was rightfully worried because he was as good as dead. He pondered the warning that his mother had offered. Yes, something larger was definitely at work here, but Odin was undoubtedly at the center of it all. All this time, Loki had patiently obeyed the Allfather's every command, enduring every pointless chore, but no longer. After all this time, the price would come due. _And I'll make damn certain of that._

...

After a very inconvenient squabble with the printer, Naomi left the library with the evidence she'd come for. With an armful of poorly printed papers, she headed home. The librarians had seemed slightly less enthusiastic when she left, more than likely having seen her little outburst with the printer. _Oh come on, printer jams are fucking irritating even for people without PTSD outbursts._ Surely it gave Loki a good laugh. She caught his reflection in the mini fridge next to the printer right before she slammed it shut again. He said he wasn't constantly watching her, but he sure seemed to pop in when he could grab a convenient laugh or a long look. But that was Loki.

On her way home afterward, she stopped off at the local mall for some real food. While her research had uncovered a lot more than she needed to know, she'd regained her appetite quickly enough.

This mall wasn't the bustling place it had been when she first moved here, but it still had this really good Thai place. Best homemade noodles ever. It was a slight miracle she was able to sit and eat a full meal without being bothered by anyone. No passersby that recognized her from the news. No reporters somehow stumbling upon her. No S.H.I.E.L.D. goons interrupting her. She literally sat there for a full thirty minutes, obnoxiously slurping noodles.

She'd taken that time to gather her thoughts to later be pitched to Evelyn and hopefully Loki at some point in the near future. After she had mulled it over as much as she could, she collected her papers again, dumped the remains of her delicious lunch and headed home.

And before she'd even made it three feet past the trashcan – _boom._

The ground disappeared out from under her. It was a sound like thunder followed by a wave of debris that made her body sting all over. The world was suddenly fogged by dust, but even if it hadn't been, she couldn't see anything after her head met the concrete. It felt like an eternity before she even realized that she was laying on the ground. She was momentarily numb, but the moment she moved, her whole body felt broken. Her head was throbbing, her ears ringing. That persistent ringing turned slowly into screams. Hundreds of them. She tried for another look around and found a few debris-clouded images of people trying to escape in slow motion. People were running. Many, like her, hadn't managed to find their footing after the second-floor food court had been blown right out from under them.

As far as she could tell from her blurry surroundings, she was somewhere in the main concourse downstairs. The only minor hint was what remained of the big fountain that had once occupied the center of the lobby. It was now a very misshapen dolphin spewing water every which way. She pushed herself up, barely enough to see past the large chunks of the second floor that were now piled around her. She thought she heard sirens, but they could have been more screams. Whatever it was was shortly interrupted by the sounds of several more explosions that set the building crumbling even further.

She had to get out of here. She had to get out of here now. She tried to push herself up again, not managing much better than the first attempt. Then she heard something else. She thought it might have been someone struggling to escape the rubble. She herself was only a few inches from being trapped under any number of large beams and concrete chunks. But then she heard something that stopped her train of thought in its tracks. Someone was being stabbed. It wasn't precisely a knife-stabbing sort of sound, not that she knew what that sounded like, but in that moment she knew someone was dying. And she was frozen where she lay on the floor.

Her mind raced with thoughts of all her new explosion related findings. None of that did her any good. All she could do was stare when her eyes found the source of the noise. Things were even foggier than they had been before, but there were definitely two figures, a young woman now hanging lifelessly in the arms of a man wearing mostly black. _Maybe it's nothing._ With the world still spinning and clouded with falling debris, it could have just been a man dragging along an unconscious friend caught in the explosion. But her vision was perfectly clear when he caught the next person to run past and gutted them without hesitation. She heard the same gut-wrenching sound as he yanked his weapon free and the body dropped into the rubble beside the other.

Naomi panicked. She dragged herself to her hands and knees, but was met with what she could only guess was a shoe to her stomach. Her head met the concrete again. The world was quiet then as she stared at the second-floor ceiling. Someone passed over her. The same indistinct figure that killed two people not a moment before. She couldn't be sure. The world was getting quieter still. She felt pain and panic settle over her until it completely blinded her. She felt someone's warm breath against her face and then nothing at all.

 _It's been far too long, darling._

* * *

My apologies for the delay on this one. I decided kind of last minute to change this a bit. But it's all well and good now! Well I mean, it's not really cuz printer jams and explosions and stuff, but you get the idea. And on that note, shit's going down. Wahhhh! I feel like something bad and cliffhangery happened in like every chapter of Cellmates (which is not true at all), but this has mostly been a peaceful lull and then boom. But whatever. Doing my best to get a new chapter out every week, but my sister decided last minute she wanted to dress up as the Winter Soldier for the Infinity War premiere so I now have to make an arm for her on top of everything else! Fortunately, my Loki costume is already done, minus a few tweaks. If you want pics, check out my instagram simplyrachaelart. Anyway, thanks everyone for reading and reviewing!


	9. Chapter 9

The next thing she knew was nausea. A fuck ton of nausea. The world was an unending earthquake, complete with ringing and gibberish and pain. Her only bodily awareness was a constant discomfort. Her head was a throbbing ache she couldn't bear to think about. The panic she remembered had faded in her unconsciousness. Now there was just pain and confusion. And nausea.

It was an ambulance, she decided. The siren slowly separated itself from the overall ringing. The paramedic's voice was next. "Miss, can you tell me your name?" Her voice sounded like she'd asked about six hundred times already.

"Naomi." Her name sounded like a dirt-laden grumble. "Naomi Scott."

"Naomi, don't worry you're gonna be fine."

"What happened?"

 _And why don't I remember?_

"There was another attack – a bombing. You're gonna be all right. We'll be at the hospital soon."

 _A bombing? Oh my god._ Her head hurt so bad. She tasted blood. The woman was repeatedly assuring her that she was all right. Probably because she kept fussing with the various wires attached to her and babbling half-formed questions about what had happened. "You hit your head. Things are going to be a little fuzzy for a while, but everything is going to be fine."

How could anyone who just survived a bombing be told that everything is going to be fine? There was nothing fine about that. She could recall crumbling walls and a lot of noise. Not much else. She could hear the paramedic asking her questions about her medical history, but she felt herself fading in and out of consciousness for the remainder of the ride. Everything kind of blended together and time must have been beyond her comprehension because a few moments later the world stopped moving and she was tucked into a hospital bed wearing one of those horrible gowns.

For all her pain and panic, her injuries were minor. From what several passing doctors had vaguely explained, she had a sprained wrist and a bad concussion, plenty of cuts and bruises, but nothing worthy of serious concern. Apparently between the ambulance and here she'd received about six stitches in her head somewhere about her left eyebrow. One doctor said they planned to keep her for observation, but otherwise, they came in for vitals and left just as quickly. She wasn't surprised. The hospital was in utter chaos. It was the closest one to the site of the bombing. She remembered now. She remembered warm noodles and the bustling mall. And then the explosion.

She pressed a bag of ice to her forehead, not entirely sure where she'd gotten it from. Over the years, she'd received a few concussions, but this one particularly sucked. After several doctors ignored her requests to turn the lights off, she took it upon herself, dragging her IV bag across the room and flashing anyone who could see into the hospital window. After that, she didn't bother with anything else. She was so exhausted and her body hurt everywhere. So she just lay there, replaying the afternoon's events in her head over and over again, trying to piece it all back together.

When she finally remembered the morning that came before the attack, it helped her to put things back together. She'd been in the library for much of the afternoon, researching the attacks – the bombings. Any theories she'd had a few hours ago were complete fact now. Every attack had been getting closer to her until one of them landed right on top of her. Or, more accurately, dropped out from under her. She remembered suddenly falling through the floor and cracking her head on the cement floor. Things were a bit fuzzy after that. But it followed the pattern she recalled from the articles. One large explosion, followed by several smaller explosions.

And there was something else. _Unexplained deaths._ There was something she'd read about unexplained deaths. Stabbing sounds. _Those awful stabbing sounds._ Reports of wounds that weren't consistent with a bombing. She sat up in her bed, watching once more as a man killed two people. _Oh my god._ _Oh my god!_ The monitor behind her began beeping incessantly. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. _He stabbed them._ She felt sick. So, so sick. _I need to tell Loki. He has to know what's going on. He has to._ The attacks were coming for her all along. _Loki, please. I don't know what to do._

She was startled out of her nausea when two policemen and one of the doctors appeared in the doorway. Why were they talking so loud? _Please, my head is pounding._ Lucky for her, they didn't bother to turn the lights back on. Even still, she leveled them all quite a look as they approached.

"Hey Naomi, how are you feeling?"

"Not great," she grumbled, adjusting her pack of ice.

"Well your vitals are stable but that concussion is going to be rough for a little while. These are officers Caigen and Morell. They're taking witness statements about the attack. Would you be able to talk to them?"

Reluctantly, Naomi nodded. Barely a half nod, under the circumstances. The doctor just smiled and went about his business, tinkering with the various machines she was hooked up to and fussing with her blood pressure and such. The officers made themselves comfortable, one of them sitting down in the chair beside her and the other just looming over her, already scratching something into a tiny notebook. Talking to the cops, for her anyway, was generally not a comfort. And sitting here in an open-back hospital gown made it even less comfortable.

"We're sorry to have to do this under these circumstances, Ms. Scott, but I'm sure you've heard that there have been other attacks like these. We have to get witness statements as soon as possible."

The other cop chimed in from the chair. "Can you walk us through your day up until the attack?"

Naomi just stared at him. All she could think about was Loki. She couldn't tell them about Loki. S.H.I.E.L.D. knew about Loki, but as far as she knew, they didn't share their national security jeopardizing intelligence with local authorities. No, she couldn't tell them about that. About him. "I'm sorry, I'm just – I can't –"

"It's all right. Just take your time. Tell us anything you can remember." The cop standing above her was quietly coaxing, but still gentle. "Anything at all."

She started at the coffee shop because she actually did remember that. She explained that she had seen the reports of the last attack on the news. "I went to the library to do some research for a project. I stopped at the mall for lunch after that. Everything was normal, but then when I got up to leave – the floor – it fell out from under me. I hit my head."

"Exactly what were you doing a project on, Ms. Scott?" The cop sitting in the chair had chimed in without warning.

"I was doing research for an art project." Hey, it wouldn't be the first time she'd lied to the cops. Half the time, S.H.I.E.L.D. had scripted the lies for her. They were very anal about what the public and the local police knew about what had occurred with her. Reporters were a different ball game altogether. They made their own assumptions based on the battle of New York. Of course, she imagined police officers were capable of making their own deductions as well.

"Are you sure about that?" The glare he stuck her with made the good cop- bad cop routine very evident. Naomi just played confused. "We found these at the scene, scattered all over the floor where the paramedics found you." He roughly passed her a very rumpled pile of papers, now stuck together by a binder clip. _Oops._ They'd collected a solid portion of the articles she'd printed. Could have been a coincidence. Now it was a lie.

"I can explain."

"Your annotations and highlights explain enough."

"I was looking up information about my abduction. S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't like me to discuss it with anyone."

"Yeah, we know about S.H.I.E.L.D. And we know who you are. But that doesn't explain why you just happened to have all this very detailed information about all of the attacks before the next attack happened with you right in the middle of it."

"So I'm a suspect?"

"Tell us everything that happened," the standing cop said, still in the same calm tone. "We're only trying to figure this out so no one else has to get hurt."

"I went to the library after I saw the news. S.H.I.E.L.D. is looking into these attacks same as you are, but I didn't know if I could believe what they told me. So I did some research. That's all. I went to the mall for lunch afterward and I got blown up same as everyone else. I didn't do this. But –" Stabbing sounds. Awful stabbing sounds. And a man. _I saw a man. He killed them. He killed them._ "I saw him."

"Him? Him who?"

"The man who did this. I saw him. He killed two people. I saw him stab them." The two men exchanged a look. "The reports mentioned bodies were found without connection to the bombing. I saw him."

"Can you describe him?"

Naomi thought as hard as she could, but was left with the same hazy image as before. He was very clearly stabbing someone but otherwise, there wasn't a damn thing memorable about him. "I don't know. I hit my head. He was a white guy. Tall. Dark hair. I think he was wearing a suit. I'm sorry. I passed out. I don't remember anything else." The standing cop was fervently taking notes, but the other didn't look pleased.

"That'll be all, Ms. Scott. Thank you for your time," he said.

"We'll be in touch," the seated man added as he stood to meet his comrade. He folded her papers and shoved them into his jacket pocket.

And then they were gone.

She watched and waited until their footsteps were beyond earshot. _Fuck._ She frantically relieved herself of all the wires and monitors and started digging around for her clothes. _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._ She quickly redressed and booked for the exit before they came back and changed their minds about detaining her for further questioning. Or possible arrest. As if it wasn't bad enough to have S.H.I.E.L.D. up her ass every fucking day, now she had the police to worry about too. Her parents were gonna love this. What was the difference anyway? The day-to-day bullshit couldn't possibly get any worse.

She made sure to pull her sleeve over the bandage on her wrist, but there wasn't much she could do about the big gauze patch on her forehead. Fortunately, the only nurse station she passed was empty. There were still plenty of people on stretchers in the hall in way worse condition than she was. Head down, she booked. Or as close to a jog as she could manage given her very achy legs. She'd almost made it to the exit before she ran into her sister. Literally ran into her.

The chaos from the attack made it easy to slip past the front desk without being properly discharged. But she ran almost head first into Evelyn who had been called when she was half-consciously admitted to the hospital. Evie's hug was borderline painful. All things considered, she almost, kind of appreciated it. She was panicking even more than Naomi had been. Nothing like a backbreaking hug to reassure you that someone is still alive after something like this.

"Oh my god, Naomi. Are you okay? The hospital called me. Wait. Where are you going?"

"I'll explain in the car. Let's go." Naomi dragged her out. She had no love for hospitals, especially after her return from outer space. Not only do they not believe you at all, they run completely unnecessary and purely violating tests to prove it.

She could feel herself limping, but she hauled ass back to her sister's car. Evie was calling after her, jogging to try and keep up. "Naomi are you sure you should be leaving the hospital? You were in a bombing for god's sake." Naomi continued to ignore her until they'd finally piled into her car. "What the hell is going on?"

"Sorry. The police were asking questions."

"Of course they were asking questions, Naomi. You were in a bombing."

"They were asking suspicious sort of questions."

"What? Why?"

"Because they found me on the ground surrounded by my printouts from the library, which detailed all of the previous attacks. Coincidences like that don't happen."

"Well, clearly they do. What did you find out?"

"Every single one of these bombings has occurred somewhere I've been before. It wasn't just the last one that hit home; it was all of them. I'm somehow connected to what's happening, but I don't know how." Her rant calmed for a moment and she replayed the afternoon's events once more. Ultimately, the only conclusion she came to was that she wanted to be in her bed as soon as humanly possible. And if it wasn't too much to ask, an empty house, pardon Evie, would be nice. "I saw this man there," she said after a moment. "He was killing people. After the first explosion, I saw him stab someone. I think he's the one responsible."

"Did you tell the police?"

"Of course I told the police. They gave me the same stupid looks as they gave me when I told them I was abducted by one of the Avengers. It was just as pointless and humiliating as S.H.I.E.L.D.'s debriefing." It was one thing for the cops to not believe you. It was another for the men who deal in international secrets, and more recently aliens, to not believe you either. Those freaking suits didn't even offer her the courtesy of a damn reaction. "All those ass holes have seen the news. I'm pretty sure I've been credited with all sorts of stupid shit since I got back."

"I'm sure it's not that bad." It didn't even sound like _she_ believed that.

"Oh please. I'm on a short list for suspect of the year. I haven't heard the last of the local police yet. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be calling for the next month."

Evie sighed. "We'll get through this."

"I'm glad you're confident."

Naomi let her head fall a little heavier against the headrest. Whatever drugs they'd given her for her insanely large whack on the head had worn off and she was already feeling it. It felt like her eyes were trying to pop out of her head. Honestly, an eye gauging might have been less painful. Her bed was calling. But her bed was surely guarded by her stupid parents, who were looking for any fucking reason to move back into her house and invade her life. They'd abandoned her so damn long ago. They had no right. For a blinding moment when she came home, the reunion was a blessing. Not anymore. _Not anymore._ She balled her fists against her eyes.

 _No more._

"Are you sure you're okay? You don't look so good. Maybe you need to go back to the hospital."

"They said it's just a concussion," she said, shaking her thoughts. "I just wanna go home. I don't suppose you can lock mom up somewhere?"

Evie smiled. "I'll do my best."

They would panic and fuss nonetheless. There wasn't a thing Evie or she could do about that. But come hell or high water, her mom would not be sleeping on her couch. Naomi slept like shit on a normal night and she slept even worse with her mom turning the fucking TV on at three in the morning. _No more._

 _No more._

Tonight she would sleep. The wee hours of the morning would be wrought with the usual nightmares, but after today, she would sleep. After today of all days, she would sleep. And tomorrow would be just another day in paradise.

* * *

Welp Naomi is okay, but her memory of what happened is a little spotty. Uh oh. What happened? Who's responsible for these attacks? So many questions! And they will soon be answered hopefully lol And in the meantime, INFINITY WAR is only a few days away! Can't wait omg! I'm so terrified and excited. But I'm very happy to get to wear my Loki costume again. And finally, after saying I would do it for YEARS, I made a helmet to go with my Loki costume! Pics to be posted on my instagram simplyrachaelart. Let me know what you guys think! Story reviews and random Infinity War hype are welcome! Happy reading and watching!


	10. Chapter 10

Nothing compared to a rude awakening. Nothing compared to being abysmally pissed off the moment she opened her eyes. Her mind was a mess with everything that had happened yesterday, but as her mind came back to the waking world, all she cared about was what the hell had woken her up. She had plenty of reasons to be angry even before some sort of loud noise had interrupted one of the deeper stages of sleep. Being blown up was pretty high on the list. Being suspected by police as the murderer responsible was too. The explosion was a persistent flashback. It came back in bits and pieces. Terrifying freeze frames. But the panic didn't come this time. She felt only anger. Her bones burned with smothered rage that didn't even feel like her own.

At any other time, that might have been unsettling, but she was far too busy being irritated that she was even conscious. As her mind slowly came back from the deepest sleep she'd managed in months, she finally put a finger on what had riled her aggravation oh so early in the morning. Voices. Oh what she wouldn't pay for silence. Silence in her own home.

It was unclear what they were saying, but she knew her mother's assertive tone a mile away. Evie's voice was only slightly more welcome at this moment. They were squabbling over something. What could possibly be so important they had to argue about it in her kitchen while she was trying to sleep?

 _Not a damn thing._

She was up and out of her bed probably faster than was healthy given her concussion. Regardless, she was storming into the kitchen moments later. And despite her rather heavy footfalls, neither of them acknowledged her until she was close enough to throw a punch that would've made her feelings known.

"Naomi. You're awake." Her mother was quick to hug her and Naomi didn't even attempt to reciprocate it. "Are you all right?"

"Fine. I haven't had a full night's sleep in a year. What the hell are you guys shouting about? And why are you doing it in my kitchen?"

Evie looked genuinely concerned. Her mother just looked offended. "Naomi," Evie said quietly, once their mother abandoned her comfort mission. "You've been asleep for two days." _What?_ "Mom was trying to call a doctor, but I told her you just needed the rest. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just want some freaking peace and quiet."

"Okay. Okay. I'll take care of it. All right?"

She could tell just by the look her mother shot her that Evie would probably have to burn bridges to get rid of her. Naomi didn't care. If she could move out of the country tomorrow, she would. Oh how nice it would be to live in a log cabin on top of some uncharted mountain buried in three years worth of snow. _I'd buy a dog. And then forget that humans exist._ If Loki ever finished whatever the fuck he was doing, they could take it a step further and just screw the whole planet. Surely there was a nice Earth-like planet out there with nothing on it but like sheep and llamas or something.

Her mother came as close to cursing as she ever did on her way out the door. Naomi just rolled her eyes. What was so hard to understand? _I just want to be left alone. There's no need to take it personally._

Evie came back looking rather defeated. Surely that hadn't been a pleasant discussion. But the way she was looking at her seemed like the discussion wasn't over. "Naomi, she's not the only one who's worried about you. I hope you know that." That almost sounded like a scolding. "I know you couldn't be bothered right now and I know mom can be abrasive in these situations, but I think you need help."

"Who's gonna help me? Who? That therapist? S.H.I.E.L.D.? The police?"

"I don't know. But you have to see this isn't getting better." Naomi folded her arms across her chest, averting her eyes in unfortunate agreement. "Does Loki know what you're dealing with?"

"Of course he knows. And he can't help me any more than they can." That thought hadn't even processed before she said it. But the reality of that statement settled heavy around her. Maybe she really was fighting this war alone. _My mind is broken. And he can't fix it. No one can fix it._ She pushed two days worth of bedhead behind her ears and then just nodded. This wasn't an argument she could win. Mostly because Evie was right. She was losing an uphill battle and apparently, the universe was not on her side. Not a big surprise. Now that she'd been abducted by aliens and caught in an explosion in one lifetime, she officially had the shittiest luck ever.

Naomi turned back toward her room with a sigh. Two days clearly wasn't enough sleep to drown out all her irritations. But the house was quiet now. Mission accomplished.

She collapsed back into her bed with a groan. For a moment, she contemplated just barricading her bedroom doors and windows. No family members could bother her. No reporters could find her. As far as she knew, her house wasn't going to be the target of any explosions. Nothing but personal space. But the longer she dwelled on that, the more fruitless it all felt. No amount of furniture in front of the door would protect her. The problem wasn't out there. It was already in here. It had followed her all the way home from Asgard and since then it did nothing but fester and feed on her everyday aggravations.

On top of all that, there was also the concussion from the other day. The pain had subsided, for the most part. But she still didn't feel right. Even less right than she'd felt the day it happened. To have your brain smacked around inside your skull had all manner of weird repercussions including, but not limited to, light and sound sensitivity, plenty of pain, dizziness, problems with balance and coordination. Half of that shit she suffered from on a regular basis anyway, however, since the attack, she'd been left with this unsettling feeling she couldn't quite place.

It wasn't nausea, but it made her feel ill anyway. It was like a persistent dripping of water that she couldn't stop. And it made the back of her skull burn. In the now perfect silence of her bedroom, it worsened. It made her hair stand on end. And with her discomfort, foggy images had begun to return. The explosion lingered with her in fragments, just as her prior traumas did. Every once and while, without her consent, bits and pieces would come and go. The images were cloudy with the haze of debris, but the longer she pondered it, the clearer it became.

A dark figure. Stabbing sounds. Pain. A face she didn't know. Warm breath against her face. When she came close to answers, it all disappeared. Like waking up from a bad dream before you see the monster.

Moments like this were ordinarily followed by a swell of anxiety, but not this time. This time she felt an echo of something inhuman. Something angry and dark. Something not of this world. It swam through her like poison. It burned in her eyes and her fingertips with a fury she'd never known. It felt as warm and welcoming as it was sickening. And then it was gone.

The burn faded so quickly it was like it had never been there at all. Thankfully, it took the nausea with it. Concussions suck. And this was only the beginning. Two days definitely wasn't enough sleep. She curled back under the covers, gritting her teeth when her feet tangled. She'd try for a whole damn week this time.

...

Loki didn't sleep. He couldn't. Ever since that unsettling intrusion, he felt exposed. He felt vulnerable. And he couldn't stand it. Rurik's presence was a constant, lingering slick in the air that he couldn't seem to shake. Admittedly, there was a moment in the beginning, when he thought it was all in his head. Just a bad dream. But Rurik returned every time he closed his eyes. And now he wasn't sure if his intrusion was real or something his mind had manufactured. His disdain for the Allfather in some twisted personification. Since he first recognized his sei∂r's disgusting scent, he couldn't take his mind off of it.

The air in his chambers was stale. In the days that had passed, he'd shut himself in, concerned with nothing but untangling the Allfather's plot. His sleeping quarters were untouched for several nights now. His study was the only space showing signs of life, however chaotic. The curtains were pulled, allowing only a faint light to dust the room's interior. His treasured tomes, books of every sort once carefully stocked on hundreds of wood shelves, covered the floor, some of them left in a minefield of torn pages. There were frantic annotations in others, paper untouched for centuries prior. His mother would certainly have a thing or two to say about that.

As he ruffled through the pages of yet another spell book, he felt his eyes lose focus. How many hours had it been since he'd slept? It didn't bear thinking about. The words had begun blurring together long ago. His only reprieve from his readings was his near constant observance of the Allfather. His projections looked in on him at every opportunity. And the lack of answers it provided was absolutely infuriating.

Over the course of several days, the only thing even worthy of note was his overtly apparent neglect of his ordinary duties. He seemed to be stewing with something as his mother had suggested, but there was no sign of anything malicious in his behavior. Of course, he hadn't always been such a benevolent king. Sleeping soundly amidst any amount of atrocity must've been second nature to him by now. That aside, it burned him to find no obvious fault. That monster had some hand in this and he was going to find out how. _Monster._ _You'd know a thing or two about monsters wouldn't you?_

He tossed his book aside, knocking over a nearby stack with an angry growl. There was a small eruption of dust that slowly dissipated in the wake of his outburst. He was losing his mind in here.

"The air is a bit stale in here. You might think better if you opened a window." He spun around where he sat on the floor, effectively startled. He swore he caught a glimpse of Rurik peering through one of his first editions, but by the time he'd turned all the way to face him, there was no one there. The disturbed book just toppled off the stack like it had been trying to do so anyway. _I may be losing my mind, but I haven't reached the point of hallucinations yet._ And he could practically smell foreign magic. He stood, watching the stack of books that remained.

"I endured two years in the dungeons. The stale air suits me."

The empty room said nothing.

But he felt the way that tainted presence loomed over his shoulder and drifted around the room. Watching. Listening.

 _I'm doing much more than just listening._

His every hair stood on end. It wasn't possible. It was a simple enough task to invade someone's mind if you knew how to do it. He'd done it enough times to know. However, to slip in so seamlessly without him knowing, an experienced practitioner, it couldn't be possible. _You let me in. And you won't get me out so easily._ His whole body burned. But he wasn't dreaming now.

" _Ryðja fjölkyngi bygð!_ "

In a bright flare of green magic, everything was purged from the room, revealing Rurik where he loomed by the bookshelves. He dropped the book he'd been reading in genuine surprise, right before Loki summoned a blade and threw it with blinding speed. But he wouldn't be that lucky twice. Rurik was gone.

The whisperings stopped. That disgusting sensation faded. Even the Allfather's ghostly intrusion was gone. But the effort it had taken to remove him was astounding. His hands shook, but at least the air had finally cleared. With a deep sigh, he went to the knife now jammed into one of the aged, leather spines. Loki stumbled on the book his intruder had dropped. It was very old. The spine nearly split when he stepped on it. Despite the wreckage he'd inflicted on his spell books today, he felt a habitual twinge as he removed his foot from the open book.

Interesting, he thought, brushing off the deteriorating paper. The magic that was scrawled across these pages was ancient. Even the dialect it was written in was a struggle for his comprehension. But he recognized it. He knew exactly what this was – he knew exactly what Rurik had so intentionally left him with. _You're playing a very dangerous game._

Loki plucked his knife from the shelf where it had embedded itself. And he couldn't help the grin that crossed his face when he saw the blood that stained its edge. Rurik had an air of Vanir magic about him, but nothing they taught could have afforded him the power he appeared to wield. But he knew someone who could. He knew someone whose hand in this could make all the difference. Someone whose hand had wrought worse hells than this before. Someone who was currently slumped on a golden throne he was long overdue to renounce. After these long days of skulking and spying, he would have his answers now.

It was only a matter of time.

* * *

I apologize, this chapter is a bit shorter than the others. But it serves its purpose. As they all do hopefully. And on that note, we have officially reached the halfway mark. Only ten more chapters to go! And there is much awesome yet to come (obviously since Loki and Naomi have spent most of this story apart lol). Sorry not sorry. Now onto much more important matters. I saw Avengers: Infinity War the other night. And I am now very much emotionally compromised. I have no words for what I saw. That is all I will say. I don't want to spoil anyone. But for anyone who has seen it, pm me and we can talk about it! I don't think I've cried so much in a movie theater in my entire life. That being said, it was still utterly amazing! But seriously, bring tissues. Me and the fam got all dressed up in costume for the premiere. If anyone wants to check out my Loki costume, check out my instagram simplyrachaelart. I love you all! Be strong!


	11. Chapter 11

Several days went by and things did not improve. _Not by a long shot._ If anything, they got worse. For days, confined in the silence of her room, Naomi's mind festered. She'd done her time in the dungeons. She knew loneliness. She knew pain and silence. She knew suffering without a foreseeable end. She knew all of that. But this was worse.

Evie quietly watched over her. She went above and beyond to keep the distractions at bay so that she could hopefully focus on feeling better. She fronted all of Naomi's calls, attempting to keep the never-ending stupid train outside her four walls. After her therapist's fifth and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s twenty-fifth call to try and reach her after the attack at the mall, Naomi permanently disconnected the landline. Which came as a shock to no one, given how quickly she'd thrown out her cell phone after first meeting the men in black. Having a tracking device in her back pocket hadn't saved her when it mattered, so after her first S.H.I.E.L.D. debriefing she dropped it in a puddle and left it there without a second thought.

And besides, her parents had no need to call her given how often they intruded – _I mean visited. No, I don't._ And Loki was beyond cell service. No point.

While Naomi slowly lost her marbles, Evie rented movies, pulled out old board games, and made dinner every night. She kept up with housekeeping and watered the plants. She did research – made calls to anyone she could think of. She even volunteered to accompany Naomi to her martial arts class one night, if it meant she would go. Naomi was beyond appreciative, but since the attack, she far lacked the means to convey it.

When she wasn't stewing in her own irritations, she was bitter and angry about every little thing. It was not uncommon, even before she was abducted, for her to find ridiculous things to be mad about. But it was all in good fun. Of late, however, things ended up disconnected or broken. Or both. Sometimes the words didn't even feel like her own when she would shout and scream – angry about nothing and everything all at once. Her eyes would glaze over. Her hands would shake. And then it was over and gone like nothing had happened. Silence reinstated.

With all of that being said, she went on as if nothing was wrong. She put her head down and pushed forward as best she could. She was strong. After the first day or so in self-imposed captivity, she went back to her normal weekly routine of activities to escape the house. And it helped. Or it felt like it did.

Naomi was happy to be back on the college campus again. The generally carefree environment almost made her want to go back to school. It was an awesome idea in theory, but then reality came back and smacked her in the head. Perhaps in another life, where she was mentally stable enough to hold down a job that could afford it. Her savings had actually been kind of substantial at one point and then she got abducted and the bills piled up and her job wouldn't take her back. _You know. Normal people problems._

As happy as she was to be in an art class again, her downtrodden demeanor was inescapable. She followed along with the professor, blindly taking instruction without any input. By the time the instructor had set them to their task, she was basically on autopilot. For a while, her pencil made short work of their project, but after a time, her mind wandered and she marked the paper with more intensity.

When her mind was left alone and the long drawn silences took their toll, a very foreign part of her took control. It made her question everything, but at the same time, she didn't have a damn care in the world. Her pencil strokes grew heavier, tighter, darker.

 _Is this what you wanted?_

She paused in her wild scribblings. Her blood chilled at the sound of that voice. She was more than certain there was someone hanging right over her shoulder, but when she looked there was no one there. Only the rest of the class quietly working away. _Surely this isn't the life you asked for._ She knew that voice, but where she'd heard it she wasn't sure. Regardless, it stood her hair on end.

 _Who knew such a pathetic human life could be made any worse._ Naomi grit her teeth, her pencil scratching hard against the paper. _I didn't think it possible, but I accept the challenge._ Naomi felt sick. Her hands stilled until they shook feverishly. She dropped her pencil and in the nearly silent room, it seemed so loud. But her ears had gone deaf and her eyes had grown wide. The drawing pad that had once displayed a still life of various inanimate objects, was now a dark mess of harsh black lines that created an image she was terrified to recognize.

Out of the scribbles appeared the dungeons she remembered. But there was a figure among the dark shadows that didn't belong. She'd seen him before, in fragments and flashbacks. Only this time, his face was clear.

 _It's been far too long, darling._

Naomi shot to her feet, her chair toppling over behind her. A wave of panic rolled over her and her whole body seized up. She saw his face not a breath from her own, whispering words she didn't understand, his fingers tracing lines across her chest. She squirmed in her own skin; breathing became a chore. Inside she was screaming, but she made no sound – her jaws clamped shut. Inside she was flailing in terror, but her body was still – trapped where she stood.

 _It's been awfully fun getting to know you._

The world was spinning around her but still, she didn't see him. There was no one there. She braced the sides of her head, her nails scraping her scalp and messing her hair. His voice was so close it felt like her own, but it was a dark echo that came from nowhere and everywhere all at once. Her mind was grasping, desperate to find any solid anchor in reality. But all she found was flashbacks. They came one after another after another. She'd spent so much time at the mercy of unsavory creatures with scalding words and wandering hands.

 _Well, well. He failed to mention that._

Her eyes burned with furious tears. "Get out," she growled. Her surrounding classmates had begun to approach, their whispers of worry just barely registering.

 _Oh no, darling. We've only just begun._

Her anger flared white-hot and her whole easel toppled over. Her fingertips burned and her eyes glazed over. The young man she'd met before reached for her, more than likely to steady her. Surely she looked mere inches from either passing out or throwing up. But before his hand even met her skin, she recoiled. And then she ran. She bolted, tripping over chairs as she went. She barely managed to hold her footing as she flung the door open and ran. She had almost made it to the outer doors of the art building when she finally tripped over her own feet. Her hands met the tile hard, barely stopping her face from smacking it instead.

That abrupt halt brought a sudden quiet. The world stopped spinning and the voices quieted. She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest. For a long moment, she just breathed. That horrible voice was gone, but the rest of him – the anger he wrought – remained. And it lingered like a sickness and made her whole body shake even now, like a bad fever that wouldn't break. And it held long after she'd escaped the campus. She'd gone a mile past her usual bus stop before she realized she'd gone a mile past the _only_ bus stop.

Good thing she didn't have a problem with long walks.

 _Really long fucking walks._

About halfway home, her trek led her past the mall, or what was left of it. The entire block was still roped off with yellow police tape, even almost a week later. What remained was only rubble, a barely-there outline of the building that had been. It was more construction personnel than police anymore, attempting to put it back together, or maybe just keep it from falling further apart. On the outskirts, where there used to be the main entrance, there was now an enormous wall of flowers and photos and religious symbols. It was a round the clock, candlelit vigil to all those lost in the attack.

As hard as she tried to walk past, she couldn't. From across the street, she struggled to put one foot in front of the other towards home. She wrestled with her better judgment for a solid two minutes before she crossed the intersection to join the stagnant crowd of melancholy onlookers.

In the quarter block, she'd walked, she didn't recognize any of the faces. But she recognized their pain – their sorrow. There were these small huddled masses of the surviving family and friends. They clung to the photos, piling flowers and notes and trinkets upon them. Since the attack, she'd been too out of it to even consider how many others had fallen victim to the explosion and the aftermath. She could guess, from the photos, that there had been hundreds of others, grandparents and children alike.

 _And here I am, sleeping the days away from a concussion. I have no right._

Naomi's fingers traced the concrete wall, avoiding the pictures below. She could barely stomach it. And what's worse, this attack was by no means the first.

 _But it will be the last._ His voice was like a hiss against the back of her neck. _This is all your fault you know._ She stopped, nearly kicking over a vase of carnations. She foolishly looked around again but found nothing. Nothing except the news crews that had, no doubt, been combing this scene since the attack.

She froze up like a deer in the headlights, trying desperately to be invisible. They hadn't seen her. They wouldn't see her. Maybe, just this once, she could be just another face in the crowd. But it wasn't possible. It had never been possible. And she wasn't exactly incognito, especially since her face still looked like she'd hit concrete from two stories up. She visually raised her shoulders, like it somehow hid the stitches on her head, and walked a bit faster up the street. But no sooner had she thought to run, they were charging towards her.

"Naomi!"

"Naomi!"

She ran. But they were fast. And she was dizzy and sick and panicked and angry and she could barely see straight. Before she knew it, she found herself cornered against the rubble of the mall.

"Naomi!"

"Naomi, is it true you were involved in this most recent attack?"

"Do you know who's responsible for these atrocities?"

"Does this have anything to do with your abduction?"

"Local authorities are speculating you have some sort of involvement. Do you have any comment?"

Naomi felt the cool concrete against her back as half a dozen microphones crowded her field of vision. Even more voices to deafen her ears. _It was all your fault._ "It wasn't my fault."

"But you don't deny your involvement."

"No – yes. It doesn't matter. _I_ don't matter. People died!"

Their questions and speculations bombarded her from every angle. She could feel herself being suffocated with no way out. "Stop it. Please, stop." Another question. Another query. Another step towards panic. "Stop. Please, just leave me alone!" She tried to shove her way out, but six burly dudes with huge cameras were not an easy shove. And this time, they weren't afraid to shove back. In fact, one of them shoved her back into the corner, allowing the rest of the pack to crowd her even further. _Yes, people did die. They died for you._

She'd far surpassed the point of panic. But where anxiety would have overwhelmed her and caused any number of horrific, nauseating endings, anger seeped in instead. She felt it slowly overtake her until she was blind to anything else. "I said _stop_!"

All at once, nothing made sense. It started with something she knew, a very well placed right hook that took down one of the unsuspecting female reporters. Her head snapped back, interrupting whatever dumb comment she was making. Completely shocked, no one moved. But Naomi was a blur. And before she could even register what had happened, the entire mob scene was scattered. The reporters and their entourages were in various states of collapse, equipment was broken, blood was spilt. And she hadn't even broken a sweat. In fact, she wasn't even sure she had moved.

She could only describe it as otherworldly. It was complete and utter disconnection from everything. She swayed where she stood, her mind somewhere else entirely. She just stared at the havoc she'd wreaked, not really aware that she had just done that. Her hands burned like she'd stuck them in acid, but when she looked at them, they were as normal as they'd ever been. Except now they were marred with blood, torn knuckles, and shrapnel from camera lenses.

After a while, the noise of the street came back. Onlookers were closing in; she could see their camera phones. She'd be a YouTube phenomenon within the hour. The authorities weren't closing in yet, but she could practically hear the calls coming in. That being said, she tucked her hands into her pockets and walked off as casually as she could. The surrounding crowd parted from her path until she disappeared around the corner, blending seamlessly into the streams of people once more. Even still, she felt like she had a very large raincloud hovering over her head. The air felt electric and it smelled like ozone. Any minute she'd be struck by lightning and the rain would pour. And everyone around her would just keep their distance and offer their dirty looks. Beyond that, they'd pay her no mind as long as their socks stayed dry.

For the rest of the walk home, she was too pissed to worry about anything. That was the one good thing about anger – it was blinding. It drowned out the hurt and the panic. It left no room for sadness. It was just boiling fury that made her fists tighten and her eyebrows wrinkle her forehead. But it kept her eyes forward and alert. And it overwhelmed her fears and insecurities. In fact, it almost made her feel free.

Naomi didn't care if the cops were right behind her. She didn't care if she ended up all over the Internet or even the evening news. It didn't matter. _None of it matters._ She finally stomped onto her own street, her eyes still angrily following the cracks in the asphalt as she thumbed the dried blood on her other fingers. So what if S.H.I.E.L.D. called tomorrow to put her into witness protection or whatever. So what if they couldn't hold off the inevitable hoard of reporters that would be following up on this debacle for the next hundred years. So what if she was losing her goddamn mind. So what? She seemed to dwell very comfortably at rock bottom. She had literally dropped two stories and hit concrete. How could it possibly get any worse?

She looked up and found a few extra cars outside of her house. Not unusual anymore. But this time, there was one she'd never seen before. She made a few guesses as she made her way up the lawn. Could be a plainclothes detective. Could be incognito reporters. Could be S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in a more inconspicuous vehicle. That was probably the best guess given she'd unplugged her phone to avoid their calls. It didn't matter, she decided. She'd be making a beeline for her bedroom and shortly after that, she'd be making a beeline for a hotel at least one state over.

When she entered the house, all idle conversation ceased. And Naomi's eyes went right to the owner of the vehicle in question. There had been a time when crossing her own threshold would have invoked relief – a feeling of safety in her own space. No one to impress. No false faces required. But as she shut the door behind her, her hands were still fists in her jacket pockets and she felt like her hair was standing on end. If someone lit a match, the room might have exploded.

Evie was looking at her from the kitchen like her hair was not only standing on end but also already on fire. Her parents on the sofa offered no telling expressions, but the woman between them looked more than happy to see her.

Things, as she was learning, can always get worse.

 _Gwen._

* * *

dun Dun DUN! I actually had a fortune cookie the other day that said "there is always a higher mountain." Not only was it irritatingly ironic given my own personal situation but it offered an interesting parallel with this chapter I was revising lol Just when you think it can't possibly get any worse, it usually does. All I have to say is poor Naomi. She frequently gets the short end of the stick. And where the heck is Loki? Wahhh stressful! Though not nearly as stressful as Infinity War. Still not over it. I'll probably never be over it lol Anyway! Let me know what you think! Let me know what ya'll are speculating! I love hearing your theories! Love you guys! See ya soon!


	12. Chapter 12

For the longest time, home hadn't felt like home. Even before her family's untimely return, back when she was sharing a cell on another planet, this place had only been four walls and furniture and a few half-dead plants. Now, it was a prison. And after one too many of these bull shit visits, she was ready for solitary confinement. Getting herself arrested seemed like a better idea every day.

Evelyn was attempting to send smoke signals from across the kitchen, but Naomi was too busy eyeing up the snake sitting on her sofa. The snake in question was all smiles as usual, but Naomi could smell ulterior motive on her. Even over her mother's excessive perfume of blind forgiveness and overwhelming optimism. Although her early appearance made for a few unprepared expressions. It took her mother an extra moment to procure a look of genuinely happy surprise.

"Naomi, you're home early," her mother pointed out. "How was class?"

"Uneventful," she growled. Her father just went back to his magazine with a shrug, no happier to be here than she was. Her mother, on the other hand, retained her put upon smile anyway, but at least Gwen looked a little less welcome. But only just. "I'll just leave you the keys," Naomi jabbed, dropping them loudly on the mail-cluttered table behind the sofa. "You've already turned it into a fucking bed and breakfast anyway."

"Naomi. Aren't you at least going to say hello? This is your sister."

"She hasn't been my sister since she tried to bash my head in!"

Any feigned smiles that remained abruptly faded. Everyone remembered, but no one ever talked about it. Not that her family had talked about anything relevant in years. It was always pointless small talk. They talked about current events and oh how was your day, but nothing meaningful. And they had all gone on like that was normal. Like it was in any way okay.

"Naomi, can we please talk about this?" her mother sincerely asked.

"There's nothing to talk about. There's _never_ been anything to talk about."

She stomped toward her room, already creating a mental inventory of everything she needed to pack. The list was pretty short. Maybe she should just turn around and leave now.

"Naomi." It had been years since she'd heard her sister's voice. But their final altercation was ingrained in her mind permanently. Her acerbic, biting tone. The words still stung. But to hear her voice as she remembered it from her childhood, she stopped. "Naomi, I came to apologize." Naomi turned back, more than certain that her lies would be completely evident. But her eyes spoke of genuine sincerity. "It took me a long time to find you," she began.

 _If she came to me one day, truly remorseful for what happened between us, I would love her just as I did before._

At the time, she believed it. So did Loki. She remembered how afraid he'd been that night. Afraid of what he'd been before. Afraid of the monster he was capable of becoming. Afraid that forgiveness didn't exist for him. _You're not a monster, Loki._ He deserved forgiveness. And if he had earned it after what he had done, well – Naomi sighed, half turning to face her.

She still looked like Gwen, but she was aged more than the few years they'd been apart. That being said, she looked better off than she had when they'd last crossed paths. She was dressed like she had an office job now, pretty far from the ditch Naomi had expected to find her in.

"I saw you on the news one day and I heard what happened to you. I didn't know how to believe it, but the story was everywhere for so long. And I knew I had to find you. I've wanted to apologize for a long time and I only felt worse after I heard – well, it doesn't need repeating."

 _No, it certainly didn't._ Especially since whatever she saw on the news was probably bullshit. Or an exaggerated version of the bullshit that was actually true. "How did you find us?" Because, honestly, that was more unsettling than anything.

"I recognized the locations of some of your photos that I saw. I narrowed it down from there." She seemed slightly embarrassed by that. "I've missed my family and I've wanted to reconnect, but I didn't know how. Seeing you again on TV was like a sign. So here I am. I've owed you an apology for a long time for what happened between us. Between all of us as a family. And I take full responsibility. Back then my problems felt so much bigger, but it's easy to see now how petty I had been. I can only imagine what you went through. I can only imagine what all of you went through waiting here for her to come home. And I was too self-absorbed to even know that something had happened. And I am truly sorry, Naomi."

She could feel the whole room waiting, hanging on her response. Gwen had come all this way, seemingly without malicious intent, to apologize. It didn't feel real. Then again, lately, nothing felt real. Every day felt like she was dragging her feet through a bad dream she couldn't wake up from. But she was in no hurry because somehow she knew that the waking world had little more to offer.

There was a tiny flicker of nostalgia. When Loki first returned her home, her family embraced her for the first time in years. And here was the final piece of the puzzle. _Better late than never._ That small glimmer of the past – that overwhelming feeling of finally being home again – was the only thing that silenced the anger that had been biting at her for what felt like weeks now.

"I forgive you for what happened before," she said finally and the tension in the room eased. "It's been a rough few years for me too."

Gwen crossed the room in tears. There was a time when Naomi didn't think her capable. But as it turned out, she was actually a pretty neat crier. She flung her arms around Naomi and at first she didn't know how to respond. On some level, she still felt like a stranger. But the longer she stood there crying into her shoulder, the more she noticed little things she remembered. She still wore the same perfume or used the same shampoo because she maintained a subtle aroma that was uniquely her sister from years ago. Her hair had the same wave to it that hers did. And even though it was shorter now, she remembered fondly doing each other's hair when they were kids.

Slowly, Naomi closed her arms around her and it felt awkward and foreign until it didn't. Until she could see her for the older sister she'd once been. And then their hug grew tighter. Naomi didn't want to admit how thoroughly in need of a hug she'd probably been. Especially given her normally cactus-like exterior. _But like I said, it's been a rough few fucking years._

After that very stressful and overdue icebreaker, the perpetual agitation in her house temporarily settled. They all settled back into the sofa, Naomi in her very neglected armchair. Before her house had become a hostel for bored family members, she used to sit there for hours every day doing whatever; binge watching tv shows, marathon reading a book series or just vegetating with a huge bowl of potato chips. It was a small reminder in a sea of ridiculous ordeals that her life might be normal again one day.

The room was filled with easy conversation, remembering the good old days and thankfully not lingering in the more recent past. Although, she could tell Gwen wanted to ask. _Because who wouldn't want to hear about my marvelous alien adventure? Besides me._ If she never heard a word about it again, it would be far too soon.

She settled further into her chair. The worn leather was warm and giving beneath her. Laying there, watching her parents there with _both_ of her sisters, for the first time in forever she really did feel at home. It was like having everyone over for the holidays. And after a big meal, they'd all fold themselves into the closest comfy chair and get lost in conversation. She missed that more than anything when she thought back to when they all still lived at home.

After the week from hell, this was relief. This was a tiny window to a future that wasn't totally awful. There were no hounding phone calls. There were no panic attacks. There were no irritating family members, for the moment. There was only one person missing. _Loki._

She'd barely had time to miss him of late. But seeing her whole family together again, at that moment, she wished he could be there. While he wasn't horribly sentimental, she felt certain he would've enjoyed their little reunion. She got lost in her thoughts, imagining he was curled into the chair beside her, his arms surrounding her. He would make quiet comments in her ear about her family and each person's little quirks. He was an expert people watcher, after all.

It was like something out of a dream.

 _Isn't that sweet._

Naomi's throat tightened. _So sweet it's making my teeth hurt._ She blinked a bit harder, hoping that would somehow flush him out. But the extra voice was painfully persistent. And his commentary was unpleasant as ever. _Mortal minds are so easily manipulated. It's a neat trick, isn't it?_ That's not exactly how she would describe it. _Would you like to see a better one?_

She could feel his influence invade the room like an invisible smoke. It was almost tangible and it was absolutely terrifying. She sat up straight in her chair, her eyes searching the room like a cat following a bug that no one else could see.

No one else noticed when Gwen suddenly disengaged from her parents' conversation. No one else noticed when her eyes glazed over before she smiled a very inhuman smile. "How's this for a trick?" The voice was hers, but the words were not.

Just as quickly as her demeanor changed, she leaped at her from the sofa, knocking her parents aside. Evelyn scrambled out of the way as Gwen wrestled Naomi to the floor, her hands locked tight around her throat. She felt the air slowly seeping out of her lungs as her sister continued to crush her trachea into the living room floor. Her mind was still catching up – trying to piece together how they'd gotten here. The wheels turned slow as her air ran out. And then it clicked. Like another quiet night in the dojo, it made sense in slow motion. Her whole body moved at once, breaking her hold and her stance in one sweep.

It was almost too easy; the strength to turn her sister over and deliver a flurry of stunning blows came from nowhere. Gwen struggled hard, screaming words she didn't hear, swinging at her from where Naomi had pinned her securely to the ground. She went totally numb.

The next thing she knew, Evelyn was pulling her away from Gwen as the cops took over. Gwen's angry shouting had suddenly turned into confusion and panic. And crying. She didn't know. Of course she didn't know. The same way Naomi had lost several chunks of time these past weeks. Her mind was not her own.

The police escorted Gwen away, more as a psychotic wacko than a criminal. And her parents were quick to follow her. The paramedics that came as part of the package deal gave Naomi a quick once-over. Her neck was already bruising in ugly shades of red and yellow, but other than that she was fine. The house fell into a painful silence after that. Evie just stood there watching the lot of them drive off. And Naomi just stood there. After something like that, there wasn't a whole lot that could be said.

Naomi disappeared into the bathroom, finding a new home perched against the sink. She just stared into the bowl, waiting for all the answers to emerge. This was insanity. It followed her all the way here from Asgard and it didn't go away. Had she not earned her freedom? Had she not suffered enough? The horrors she had lived through so that she could walk on Earth again were insurmountable. She deserved better. _I deserve better._

 _You deserve better, Naomi._

Loki's words rolled over her, words she hadn't heard in so long. Words she needed to hear – now more than ever. And no matter how much she missed him, no matter how much she loved him, she couldn't help but wonder where he was. _I need you. I really need you. And you're not here._ The longer she lingered on that thought, the more it bothered her. All that had transpired to date was not a coincidence. Not even close. And if it wasn't a coincidence, then there was something larger at work. Much larger.

The evil voice that taunted her had nothing to do with her concussion. But it did smell like magic, and after this afternoon, she was painfully certain of that. And as far as she knew, magic only came from one place in this universe and it wasn't her goddamn basement. She felt violated to even imagine that this stupid sorcery had followed her all this way. Loki would know. He would have answers. He always did. _But he's not here. He's never here!_

Her eyes met the mirror before her and she recalled so many times she'd caught a glimpse of her lover in her every reflection. But not this time. _Not this time._ And then she smashed it.

The first time it only cracked. But the second time, it shattered. The tile was a symphony of plinks as it rained shards of aluminum-plated glass. Her bleeding knuckles continued to pummel at what remained before she cleared the counter of its contents. Soon the floor was littered with toiletries, but she wouldn't be satisfied until the entire room was turned on its head. She knocked a glass off the table, its shattered remains joining the mirror, as well as a box of tissues, a spare hairbrush, a cracked vase and its mess of flowers, along with a spattering of blood that continued to drip from her hands.

Her mind was so saturated with anger she knew nothing else. Naomi mindlessly shouted and screamed and ruined the room around her. It almost escaped her notice when a pair of hands had grabbed her from behind, settling for her waist when they couldn't secure her hands. She could hear her name in the fog, but she was blind. However, she only managed to break a few more things, before Evelyn got her under control.

After a while, her sister's words cut through the noise. And she remembered that it was only a bathroom that had done nothing to ruin her day besides exist. She remembered that today was just another day in paradise. As dismal as that statement was, it was remarkably calming. After all, _what's the point?_

"I'm sorry," Evie said as Naomi slid to the floor against the vanity. "I shouldn't have let her in. I should've sent her away. And none of this would've happened."

"It wasn't her fault," Naomi said. "It wasn't your fault. I did this."

"Naomi, no-"

"Things like this don't just happen. I've seen it before. I've seen things that shouldn't be possible, but they happen anyway. It wasn't Gwen. Someone, something was controlling her."

"Naomi, what's going on?" She lifted her gaze finally, but her sister looked a bit taken aback. "What happened to your eyes?"

Naomi picked up a piece of mirror from the floor beside her and saw what had startled her. Her eyes were a deep maroon and that was something she definitely hadn't seen before. "I noticed it the other day," Evie said, "but I thought the lights were playing tricks on me." They were awfully fitting for the rage monster she was turning into. First a hoard of reporters, now her sister, and the bathroom to follow.

"Something is wrong with me," Naomi admitted. "I don't know what, but it's not a concussion and it's not PTSD. And I don't know if I can fix it."

Evie slid down beside her, pushing a few shards of mirror aside. "Naomi, listen to me. You came back from a place that not everyone can come back from. And I don't just mean another planet. Whatever this is, alien or not, if anyone can figure it out, you can."

Naomi wasn't quite so convinced, but it helped to know someone was. And if today meant anything at all, the man – monster – _whatever_ was doing this to her, it wanted her dead. In the most twisted way possible. First, she was blown up and now this. She was putting some seriously bad odds to shame lately. And she could only imagine what might be next. If she was somehow able to figure this out, she had better do it soon. Or she might not be alive to see the ending.

* * *

Everyone needs a sister who can be their rock when times get tough. And I'd like to think Evelyn takes it to a whole new level. I just love her. And I love their relationship, so I hope that comes through. Meanwhile, Loki is MIA. He spends a lot of this story MIA so I apologize. I didn't completely plan it that way, these things just happen sometimes. But fret not! The next one's a Loki chapter. And we finally get to the action-packed, drama-filled chapters I have literally been envisioning for years. And I'm honestly surprised lol I didn't think I'd ever get here. I mean I was hopeful, but still. Anyway! Thanks so much for reading and for your continued support! See you in the next chapter! All my love!


	13. Chapter 13

Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. Admittedly, it had been far too long since Loki had looked in on Naomi. He'd been so caught up in the problems here to realize something was wrong. And by the time he'd turned his gaze on her, she was gone. Not gone gone, but beyond his sight somehow. He scryed and searched to no avail. Something – _someone_ – was blocking him. Even with his mind well occupied, Naomi was a lingering comfort. Her subtle perfume stayed with him, her words a constant reminder of what waited for him. To have her presence stolen from him was an offense punishable by a fate far worse than imprisonment. Fortunately, his many long days of research had not been in vain. And with Rurik's taunt, he'd found what he was looking for.

 _But it may already be too late._

He'd cast his projections into these dungeons many times since his release, but he'd only walked these halls in person once since then. The memories down here were too real and too shortly passed. Every step was maddening, but he took them in stride, breathing the dank air without emotion.

His and Naomi's cells were never filled after they were freed. Too many ghosts, perhaps. Otherwise, the dungeons were brimming with vagrant activity. The place was practically bursting at the seams with all of the marauders they'd collected. It only made their vacant cells all the more out of place. It was midday now and all of their captives gawked and shouted as he passed. Ordinarily, someone needed to be far less clothed to receive this much attention. Fists met the glass. Some of they made an interesting array of stupid faces. Loki couldn't be bothered.

And as he noticed, neither could Rurik. It was like he was standing in a vacant room, rather than a cell packed to near maximum occupancy. He was quietly posted in the corner, pressed almost against the glass, mindlessly picking at his fingernails. As if he didn't know that his cellmates were watching him as Loki approached. _And they would call me a witch to put on such a show._

"Did you get my invitation?" The surrounding marauders grew quiet. "I'll take that as a yes, if your morose attitude is any indicator." He pulled at the blood-stained tear in his sleeve when Loki noticed it. "I will offer credit where it is due, son of Asgard. That one was a little too close."

"What have you done?"

Rurik laughed. "I suppose the weeks spent pouring over your books didn't answer that for you?" He smiled knowingly.

"I am not a fool," Loki growled. "Even without you dropping hints, your filthy sei∂r wreaks of Svartalfheim."

His grin was sickening. "The dark elves were once thought extinct by Vanir and Asgardian alike. But they have much left to offer this universe."

"And you would sell your soul to have it."

"I already have." His cellmates kept their distance, more so now. The dungeons were a lot colder than he remembered them. "An eternity in Helheim is a small price to pay."

Loki could feel the dark net he cast over the room. It moved like a thick shadow, a suffocating fog. The magic of the dark elves was not known to many of this lifetime; it was an ancient magic that predated light itself. And he could feel it suck the life from the room as they spoke. The barrier hummed angrily when his hand came too close. In fact, when he looked close enough, the knotwork spell receded to the bare glass and then instantly returned to normal. And that was most unsettling.

"Tell me Loki, have you come here to kill me?"

"You can certainly try." Loki half turned to see him standing in the cell behind him. And then the next cell and the next.

"But it's only fair to warn you."

"You will fail." Rurik was standing not twenty feet away, no longer confined by the cells at all, his eyes a deep maroon hue. "Your mother has seen it." Loki's throat tightened. "And here I thought the Allfather's magic would be all I needed. I'll admit, he was a very adequate pool of energy from which to leech, but your mother proved a useful source of information. Her memories are unique in that some of them haven't even happened yet."

Loki made his advance, but Rurik disappeared, this time appearing twice as far behind him. "I thought I had my ace in the hole with her, but Thor provided me with something even more special. No one could have ever guessed that the icy prince of Asgard would show his heart for a mere Midgardian girl. At first, I didn't believe it. But then I saw it for myself."

"Leave me the fuck alone!" Loki turned on his heel so fast his head spun. _Naomi._ She stood in her cell where she had so long ago, as real as she'd ever been.

"Poor, naïve, little mortal," Loki's voice was a quiet purr against her biting tone. "Thinks herself so immensely important. Have you no idea who I am?" Loki saw himself walk to the pane of glass that separated them, the memory flawlessly projected into a perfect false reality. "I was to be your king. And you just another nameless, faceless subject."

"You don't scare me. _Loki._ "

Their projections moved on in fast forward, certain pieces of time stretched out at full length. But for the most part, their lengthy stay was condensed to a few long minutes – a few painful memories.

"Don't pretend to care, when I know you, of all people, do not. You just stood there!" Her words still stung like a wound reopened. _Naomi I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._ He watched her wither and die again. And Rurik delighted in it like he was watching one of those terrible romance films Naomi indulged him with on Earth. "Does that make me your latest souvenir?"

"A gift." And by far the greatest gift he had ever received.

"Pathetic," Rurik gagged. "But she made for a perfect pawn." The images faded. "She wasn't easy to find. Your family's memories only got me so close. But you, well, you made her a _very_ easy target. She puts up a hell of a fight though; I'll give her that. She hasn't been as easy to kill as I expected."

Loki launched a blind assault, his hands a flurry of movement, launching knives with his sei∂r spiraling after them. Rurik deflected them, looking completely unbothered, the effects of Loki's magic wafting over him like a gentle breeze. "You'll have to do better than that." Loki's fists burned white-hot, his mind an unbridled panic that had cast all logic straight out the window. _All this time. All this time, I left her – alone._ And Rurik knew. _Naomi._ Her presence was still a void in the back of his mind. But she wasn't gone. Not yet.

He was barely conscious of the spells that escaped him, but the next thing he knew, Rurik has clamped a hand around his throat. "Love makes fools of us all," he growled. "She survived me once, but this time she will not be so fortunate. It's a miracle she's made it this long, my mind games are far less forgiving where mortals are concerned." He smiled, dropping Loki to the floor without remorse. The cell walls blew out all at once, spraying glass through the ugly yellow haze of magic set loose. And all the hundreds of marauders walked free. "Her body will be waiting for you when you're finished. Have fun."

Just like that, he was gone and all hell broke loose in his wake. But Loki was frozen where he'd landed, his heart racing with ceaseless panic. He could hardly fathom how wrong he had been – how blind. And he was already too late.

 _Naomi._

 _..._

Naomi had a lot of experience with unexpected wake-up calls. In her state of delirium, she wasn't inclined to list them. But hearing her front door forced in was pretty high up on that list. It was a single loud bang followed by splintering wood. She was scrambling out of bed before she'd even opened her eyes. She'd gotten used to recoiling at shadows since her PTSD really set in, but the sound of a door being smashed was fairly unmistakable. Especially when her bedroom door was smashed in shortly after it.

A bunch of men that looked like SWAT came rushing into the room, armed with assault rifles. Naomi had no experience dealing with SWAT – _yet –_ but she was pretty sure they were supposed to announce themselves when breaking and entering. Without thinking, she threw the closest thing she could reach – that being the lamp from her nightstand – and then bolted for her bathroom. She managed to dodge the first guy, but the next caught her at the ankles. Her hands barely broke her fall, but her chin hit the hardwood anyway as she was dragged backward into the room again.

She went kicking and screaming all the way outside to a parade's worth of unmarked police cars. She was shortly in handcuffs and shoved into the caged back seat of the one bringing up the rear. And then they all drove off, no one saying a goddamn word.

"Who the fuck do you think you are? You're obviously not the fucking police. You have no right to break into my fucking house. Where's your warrant? Who gives you the right?" She screamed until her lungs were sore, but the two men in the front seat didn't even flinch. "You fucking suits think you can just do whatever you want!"

"Shut up!" The man in the passenger's seat finally elbowed the cage and startled her into exactly three seconds of silence before she started up again. And when they pulled up at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters forty-five minutes later, she only got worse. They wouldn't have gotten any more compliance out of her if they'd dragged her inside by her hair.

 _Nothing like being dragged through a public place in your poor excuse for pajamas ranting about anything and everything that ever happened ever._ And that led to shortly being cuffed to a desk in a very familiar looking interrogation room about ten stories below ground. Except this time she had two guards. "You can't keep me here! Do you hear me, assholes! If I have to chop my own fucking hand off, I will ruin your pretty waxed floors in a heartbeat. And if you think I'm gonna just sit here, you've got another thing coming!"

The door opened not a moment later and Fury walked in looking none too pleased. "Are you done?"

"I'll be done when you tell me what the fuck you think you're doing?"

"We're taking you into protective custody."

"Oh really? I feel really well protected." She yanked hard on the table she was unfortunately attached to. "If you think this is going to get me to help you-"

"All of these attacks have led straight to you. Do you think we don't know about your little research assignment? You were almost blown up and you don't think you're a target?"

"If I was the target then why am I still alive? Huh?"

"Probably because you're a pain in the ass to get rid of."

Naomi's face wrinkled. _Okay, Fury._ "So why am I suddenly in need of protection? My sister tried to kill me yesterday. Where were you then?"

"Is Loki involved?"

"Fuck you."

"Is he involved, yes or no?"

"No. He has no idea any of this even happened. He hasn't even called to check up on me. Satisfied?"

"Or maybe he was too busy blowing other people up to have time for you."

"Or maybe you're just reaching to cover up the fact that you don't have all the fucking answers. He has nothing to do with this and you know it."

"Your police report states that you saw a man at the scene of the explosion stabbing people to death. Sounds a lot like your boyfriend to me."

"My _boyfriend_ is not the only person in this universe capable of stabbing someone. Meet me in a dark alley and I'll prove it to you."

Fury did not look impressed. "You are a target none the less and whoever is after you, be it your psycho boyfriend or not, you've put other people in danger. You will be held here until we figure out what to do about this."

 _This is all your fault._ Naomi was fuming. "You're blaming me for what happened to all those people? You're blaming me for being in the wrong place at the wrong time?" Her eyes burned dark red. She felt the panic set in that always accompanied her flashbacks of late, but this time her anger snuffed it out. Lately, this anger made her even more afraid than the panic did. But she was tired of it. _I am so damn tired of being afraid. No more._ "This was not my fault," she growled.

The whole table surged forward, knocking Fury off balance. "This was not my fault. And I'm done with all your goons and your calls and the rest of your bullshit!" She slammed her fists on the table and her cuffs broke loose. She spun out of her chair, attacking the first guard she could grab. She tore at his suit like she had claws. And then she grabbed for his neck. Try as he might, he couldn't pull her hands away. Renewed strength burned through her like a drug and she couldn't stop. She _wouldn't_ stop. She could feel Fury at her back, but when he dared to lay a hand on her, he and room's other occupant hit the far wall with a white-hot flash of light.

In the background somewhere, she could hear him calling for backup, but she was blind to anything else. The man beneath her grasp was slowly suffocating by her hand and she dug her thumbs in harder. _No more!_

Just as she felt the life leave his body, she felt something stab her in the back. Only a pinprick, but it was followed by a long slow burn. And then darkness.

* * *

So Naomi has been SHIELD-napped lol And Loki is finally getting his shit together. AND Rurik divulges some of the reason behind his non-sensical evilness. Lots of goody goodies in this chapter. We're heading into the homestretch guys! I can't even believe it. There might be an extra week before the next chapter is posted, but we shall see. On the plus side, the upcoming chapters are getting hella long lol I'm writing the last three chapters as week speak. Get hyped! Thanks so much for your continued support! Happy reading!

Oh and on a side note: it has just occurred to me that this site has been removing the pov breaks in both this story and Cellmates. How I got this far and didn't notice it is beyond me. Ao3 is fine. I really hate the formatting on here... but I shall fix it! I can't believe it even made sense without those. Ugh. I'm so shook. Anyway, see ya'll later!


	14. Chapter 14

Loki felt completely numb. What followed was not even a conscious effort. The stone of the dungeon floor was cold beneath his hands, but his body was already in motion, striking down the marauders as they invaded his personal space in droves. He could still feel where Rurik's hand had clamped around his neck unnaturally tight. His exposed skin felt like it was peppered with shattered glass. But that pain was suddenly only an echo in the deep recesses of his mind. All he could think about was Naomi. And his fury was evident in the onslaught that followed.

He was a flurry of knife strikes and neck breaks. Their prisoners slowly accumulated in a pile around him. Blood was pooling at his feet. At some point during the assault, the guards had joined the fray. The alarm was blaring in the background. The Einherjar would be descending on this place shortly. But he couldn't think about that. All he could think about was Naomi. Every moment wasted here – _Naomi I'm coming._ All he could think about was how he wasn't there. He didn't even know that anything had happened because he was so wrapped up in Rurik's schemes here. But that was the plan, wasn't it?

 _Naomi, I promise I'm coming – I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._ Every beastly creature that crossed his path met a quick and painful end. And he was blind to the blood that was spattered across his clothes, his face. What if he was already too late? _No. Don't think that way._ Rurik had made it abundantly clear that she was still alive. And if he could believe anything he'd said, it was that Naomi was a survivor and she wouldn't go down without a fight. But that would only force him to try harder and given his little show of power, it wasn't beyond him. _I'm coming, darling._

He'd just relieved another marauder of his internal organs when an enormous bang summoned a lot of the room's attention. Mjolnir and the blonde barbarian that carried her always knew how to make an entrance. Although under the circumstances he was silently appreciative. Thor and the cavalry that followed made short work of the hostiles that remained. Within a few long moments, the silence of the dungeons was restored, save for heavy breaths and groans from half-dead escaped captives.

"Loki, what in the Nine happened?" Loki was charging out of the dungeons before Thor could sneak in another word. "Loki, wait. Loki, what happened down there? Father fell to his deathbed not a moment before the alarms went off. I've never seen him so sick."

"Of course he did," Loki growled, turning abruptly to face him as they reached the top of the stairs. Thor looked dumbfounded. Loki gave an exasperated roll of his eyes. "It wasn't me. It was Rurik. He's been leeching off of the Allfather since we brought him here. Odin is as good as dead now. I'm sure that monster sucked the life out of him."

"Who is Rurik?"

"We picked him up on Vanaheim. I thought he was just another marauder, but he's sick with dark elf magic. It's ancient and powerful spell work and it feeds on death as much as it does other people's power. He gets inside your head and sees your secrets – steals your sanity."

"You're just offering this information now?"

"I've been ripping my books apart for days. I had to learn an entire language to decipher seir like this. But he wanted me to know. He's been taunting me this whole time and I let him. I let him!" It felt like the whole castle shook around his words. "His magic was clouded by Odin's and that's all I saw."

"You're telling me that one of the nameless creatures we locked in the dungeons has been – that's not possible. There's a barrier down there for a reason."

"You saw the shattered glass. He was playing a game the entire time."

"But why? What does he want?"

"He failed to share that poignant piece of information." _But I'll find out soon enough._ He was off and moving again.

"Where are you going?"

"He got inside my head and I showed him exactly what he wanted to see. And he's on his way to her now." _I'm coming._

"Loki, just wait. We can help you." Thor snagged him by his sleeve and Loki leveled him a seething look.

"You've all helped me enough." He shrugged himself loose. "Odin will be dead soon enough now that Rurik has cut him loose. And with that said, I believe you have a throne to prepare for."

His next few steps brought him across the realm to one of his many hidden off world portals. This one was a bit dusty but it served its purpose. It was a single step through the cosmos from Asgard to Midgard. And from there, it was a hop, skip, and a jump to Naomi's home. And he appeared through her doorway like a ghost across the threshold.

The house was too quiet. In visits past, she always left the television on, at the very least. This time, there was nothing. In her room, the bed was unmade. The sheets were disheveled and one of the pillows was on the floor, along with a broken lamp. He could practically see her being dragged from here. But Rurik's ugly presence didn't linger here as it did elsewhere. Even still, there was a pain in these walls that hadn't been there before.

He perused the rest of the house. In the living room, the furniture was slightly out of square. Either someone had attempted to redecorate and gave up or her bedroom hadn't been the only struggle.

The contents of the bathroom were in a pile on the sofa and one of the metal outdoor trashcans was holding the door open. The interior smelled like chemicals. All that remained of the mirror was a few shards still attached around the edges. The rest of it was in a pile of dust and glass in the bottom of the trashcan. Despite the thorough cleaning, the tile was still stained with blood. Her blood. _Naomi._

He heard the front door unlock, open, and close in quick succession. He emerged from the bathroom in a huff, hoping for Naomi, but fully prepared for Rurik. Instead, he stopped Evelyn dead in her tracks. "Loki."

"Where is she?"

"S.H.I.E.L.D. took her," she said matter of factly as if he could possibly have known. "They wouldn't let me see her. They said she's sick." Loki's fists tightened. "She'd never admit it, but after everything that's happened, she might actually be safe there."

"What happened to her?"

"What hasn't happened to her?" Evelyn said accusingly. "And who are you to ask?" She shoved past him, slinging her purse over the sofa in passing and quickly dumping her grocery bags on the kitchen counter.

Loki watched her carefully. He'd crossed paths with Naomi's sister before, but words between them had never been exchanged. Not that he'd really spoken to anyone in her family. But Evelyn, in particular, was the only one who'd leveled eyes with him like he was just another _boyfriend,_ as Naomi had called it. A small name for a slightly less than committed relationship on Earth. No, her sister Evelyn knew everything she needed to know about him and she just looked at him like a bug scuttling across Naomi's floor. And all the while, she just casually put away her groceries.

"There have been attacks," she said plainly. "Naomi figured out she was targeted. She was looking for a way to contact you when she got the floor blown out from under her." Loki's heart sank, but his expression remained just as removed – as casually angry as always. _Naomi, I'm so sorry._ "She hasn't been the same since then." Loki took an involuntary glance at the mess that had been made of the bathroom. "S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't do that. She did." He saw genuine fear in her eyes when she looked up again. _My mind games are far less forgiving where mortals are concerned._ "I'm afraid for her."

Loki could only imagine what she'd been through in his absence. "I should've been here."

"Yeah, you should've." She threw a few items into the fridge. "Naomi's strong and she never relies on anyone to fix things for her. It's a miracle if she even admits she has a problem. But this time – this time it's different. Everyone – S.H.I.E.L.D., the police, her therapist – they all think she's having a PTSD meltdown. For a long time, I think that was true, but lately, she thought something other-worldly had gotten to her." She went to the couch, digging around in her purse for a moment before producing a small notebook. "Something is really wrong this time."

She flipped through the pages, before handing it to him. It was one of Naomi's sketchbooks. He'd looked through them before. It was normally a sporadic assemblage of random doodles, but he'd seen his own façade more than once across the pages. But the pages to which she'd opened the book showed something very different. It wasn't fine lines forming unique images; it was dark and heavy lines scribbled together until the paper was almost black. The only negative spaces that remained formed the same face over and over again. Dark eyes and a twisted smile. _Rurik._ He'd invaded her mind and it's effects were more than clear.

"He's a monster," Loki said quietly. "He came for me and I led him right to her."

Evelyn looked as angry as she did apologetic. "She doesn't blame you," she conceded solemnly. Maybe not, he thought. But if she did, he had certainly earned it. "Can you stop him?"

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Well, she's counting on you. So you had better figure it out." Her voice was threatening, but her eyes were kind. Naomi's mother had nothing but dirty looks the few times she'd caught his shadow, but Evelyn was different. Smart and witty like Naomi, but she was quiet about it. He liked her. Loki almost managed a smile.

"Where can I find her?"

The next thing Naomi knew was a cell. Four glass walls and a lot of white. The room was so sterile it didn't even have a smell. The tile floor was cold and remarkably comforting. She rolled onto her back and exhaled a quiet sigh. There was no movement. No sound. And never, in her entire life, had she been happier to be alone. It felt like home. There was a peace ingrained in walls like these. Her mind stilled in the heavily conditioned air. If she sat up, Loki would be there. He'd be tucked into the corner of his cell reading a book, but not so busy he couldn't toss a grin her way. He was here. She was okay. Everything was okay.

She opened her eyes and found the glass ceiling above her marred by a bunch of security cameras. This wasn't a dungeon on Asgard. This wasn't her Stockholm-like home away from home. This was S.H.I.E.L.D. Slowly she remembered the goons that had grabbed her and the not so pleasant conversation she'd had with Fury. And then there was the instigation that occurred after that. Naomi sighed. The illusion was broken, but the peace remained. The voices were quiet for now, but she could feel the way that unwelcome presence continued to linger in the back of her head. And as it would seem, he was making short and violent work of those that crossed her path, be it friend or foe.

In a cell, she was safe. In a cell, everyone else was also safe. She could still feel that foreign energy burning in the palms of her hands – in her eyes. But the cool floor was calming. She rolled over, curling her knees to her chest and pressing her palms to her eyes. This was fine, she thought. It was as close to home as she'd felt since she got home. In here, there were no badgering parents, no therapists, no reporters, no one to yell at, no one to harm. _No Loki._ Tears burned in her eyes and no sooner had she tried to will them away, they stained her cheeks and dripped in small puddles to the cold floor beneath her. It was better this way.

After everything that had happened, it was better this way.

* * *

So sorry for the delay everyone! I've had to pick up a ton of extra shifts at work so I didn't get to edit this chapter as soon or as thoroughly as I would have liked. It is also shorter than I planned, but I believe I hit every point that needed to be hit in this chapter. It's more of a setup for the more action-filled chapters to come. Hopefully I can keep to a more timely editing schedule for these last few chapters. Only six more to go! I am super excited to finally complete this story. It'll be part of only a handful of completed works. I have piles and piles of unfinished ideas. But if anything, this has given me hope that maybe one day I can finish those too. If I managed to come back to this after five years, anything is possible! Thanks so much for your continued support everyone! Happy reading!


	15. Chapter 15

The last time Loki invaded one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters the Tesseract had dropped him on this rock with hopes of ruling it. That seemed so long ago now. His entrance wasn't quite so dramatic this time, but his ghostly presence alone scattered all of the unarmed help like rats. As for those that were armed, he could feel a dozen weapons trained upon him from every conceivable direction. Everyone that remained was stone still, watching him and most assuredly recalling what became of this place the last time he'd come to this world with grand ambitions. He had little doubt that their orders would be to shoot first and ask questions later. But the air remained still. No one made a move.

"I'm looking for Director Fury," Loki said matter-of-factly as if he'd just strolled up to the front desk like a regular tourist. "I was informed I'd been summoned for questioning."

Loki's silver tongue was legendary, but it took all of his restraint to use it. After the chaos that Rurik had wrought, he wanted nothing more than to destroy everything in his path until he knew Naomi was safe. Until he could wrap his arms around her and know with absolute certainty that she was okay. It had been too long and it was all his fault. _All my fault. I'm so sorry, my love._ But Naomi's sister Evelyn had explained to him everything S.H.I.E.L.D. had told her. They had her under lock and key after some kind of security breach. However, prior to her abduction, Naomi said that they were hell-bent on putting a name to these attacks and they were happy enough for it to be his.

No one had fired, so Evelyn's _plan_ of sorts wasn't a total loss yet. And the woman had made an important point: S.H.I.E.L.D. was merciless of late. And if he barged in looking for blood, it wasn't beyond them to risk Naomi's life to stop him. So he took her advice and provided the only honesty he could offer. "I know who's responsible for the attacks on your world. I am only here to see that Naomi is safe. After that, do as you wish."

A few of the agents exchanged looks. Possibly confused, but more than likely disbelieving. But no sooner had he reconsidered this plan, Fury's voice boomed over the loudspeaker in as dulcet a tone as ever.

"We accept your surrender. Cuff him. And if he makes any trouble, his girlfriend will be made far less comfortable."

 _Smart sister._ Loki offered his wrists without complaint. Fortunately, as far as he knew, Earth didn't have the sorcery-constraining shackles that Asgard did. They were just very shiny, extra large handcuffs. However, they more than made up for it with a dozen-man escort across the complex. And he'd say this for them: their weapons had received a serious upgrade since his last visit. _At least they're learning._

He was expecting a cell to be the end destination of this trek. Instead, it was a mostly empty room where he found himself chained to the floor. He couldn't lift his hands any further than his waistline with the slack provided. But there was nothing he could reach. Nothing he could use as a weapon. Smart.

"I must say when we took your girlfriend into custody, I had hoped it might draw you out of whatever hole you've been hiding in, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind." Fury emerged from a darkened corner. Surprisingly enough, he didn't look like he'd aged a day since his attack on the planet.

"Oh, believe me, Director, if I had it my way, you'd be paying your dues for the harassment you've inflicted on her."

Fury moved towards him, his one eye intently focused on the floor. "Her." His tone was questioning. "I would just _love_ to hear your side of that story. No matter how many times Ms. Scott has regaled us with your whirlwind love story, it just doesn't add up."

"And why would it? If you so genuinely don't want to hear the story she has to tell, then it will never make any sense at all. With that said, Director, I feel no need to elaborate any further on my personal affairs when there are far more pressing matters worth attending to." Fury finally made eye contact with him; his single-eyed stare was stoic as ever. "Naomi is in danger."

"We're well aware. That's why she is here."

"If I had no trouble getting in here, her pursuer will have even less trouble since he levels buildings in his wake."

"So I suppose you mean to say that you had no involvement."

"I like to think I have a little more finesse than that." Loki adjusted his stance, looking as casual as he ever had while being chained to the floor. "I don't expect you to trust me. I've given you many reasons not to, but when he comes for her – and he will – that will make my point fairly eloquently."

"And what is your point exactly?"

"The man who has taken an interest in her employs a type of magic that has near limitless potential. The more lives he takes, the stronger he gets. He has attempted to harm her already without success. I suspect he won't fail the next time."

"Why her? What does he want?"

Loki pondered that a long moment. "I don't know." Rurik had left him hints in abundance, thus far. But nothing really spoke of his motives. He was still playing games. "He seems to have a personal vendetta with me, but the reason still eludes me."

"Well, I'm sure you've made plenty of enemies." Fury took a few measured steps closer. "So let's just say you're right and you don't have some ulterior motive. How do we stop him?"

"I need to see Naomi. He's done something to her-"

Fury interrupted him with a half-assed chuckle of sorts. "Yeah, somebody definitely did something." Loki's brow furrowed, the tension between his wrists and the floor got a little tighter. "She's been a nuisance since we first debriefed her, but over the course of a few weeks, she's lost her goddamn mind. She choked one of my agents within an inch of his life. She tossed full grown men like ragdolls without laying a hand on them."

"He has some kind of hold on her. If I can free her, that may make her harder to locate." Fury looked like he would have found a pile of dirt more amusing. He wouldn't believe him, but he didn't need him to. He only needed to get a foot in the door. "That's all I have to offer. But I will make you a promise that I am the only chance you have of stopping him."

.

To these people, his word didn't mean a damn thing, but from what he'd heard, a lot of innocent people had fallen victim to Rurik's scheme and they were beyond desperate for answers. So without much rebuttal, Fury conceded and had his entourage drag him off elsewhere. The Director said she was locked in a holding cell after her little outburst. And he couldn't help the nervous feeling that crept over him. As awful as some of their partings had been in the past, this was by far the worst. It had only been a week but had he been here she might have been safe. She might be safely home in her bed instead of, once more, being locked in a norn-forsaken cell.

Loki was terrified to see what had become of her after what her sister and Fury had told him. Rurik got into his head and he played without much trouble, but Naomi – he could barely imagine what he'd done to her. It burned more than words conveyed, but he was under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s good graces and for now, he needed to keep it that way.

Their holding cells were a maze of tempered glass woven across a white tile floor. The space was peppered with small black recording devices and along the far perimeter by the doors, there were armed guards. And in the center of it all was Naomi. _My sweet little mortal. I'm so sorry, darling._

She didn't move. She was sitting in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face lost under all of her hair. He remembered this woman – the one he'd seen in the dungeons after a world worth of hurt had overwhelmed her. His whole body ached to see it again.

Without a word, his escorts passed him into her cell and removed his restraints. No words of warning or threats should he misbehave. They simply locked the door behind him and went back the way they'd come.

The sound of the door was noisy enough, but Naomi didn't look up. She still hadn't moved. Not even a twitch. Standing this close, he noticed her knuckles were thoroughly roughed up, her fingers still stained with old blood. Her hair looked like she'd been rather aggressively sleeping on it. Given she was wearing what appeared to be her pajamas, that was probably true to some degree. And once more she was without shoes.

When she finally looked up, his heart shattered. Her forehead was marred with stitches and scratches. Her throat was a mess with horrible bruises. This was not one attack. This was not one simple hardship to endure. This was everything. Her eyes were raw from tears, but the look she offered him was the worst of it. There wasn't a trace of hope left in her eyes. She was a mere shell of what she had been. Where there had once been exuberance and relief, there was now bitter disappointment. And anger. So much anger. Even for her. This – this is what Rurik's mind games wrought. _Madness._ Complete and utter madness.

She tried to offer him a crooked smile but failed even that. If anything, her countenance further twisted with anguish. He was more than sure that the next words out of her mouth would be screams. But when at last she spoke, her tone was even. And that only made her all the more terrifying.

"You left me."

There would be no excuses. There was no apology that would even begin to soothe his guilt or mend the trust he'd shattered. He dropped to his knees and her gaze slowly followed him, her eyes more than accusing. But he deserved it. Every bit of it. _I failed you._ "Naomi. I am so sorry. There are no words that -"

Her fist met his jaw with brutal strength. And no matter what he'd been expecting of her, he would've been shocked. She knocked him off balance to where his back almost hit the floor. Had she been Asgardian, his jaw would probably be broken. That being said, her tiny human frame shouldn't have been able to rattle his teeth like it did. She loomed closer, her hand bracing the floor.

"You _left_ me." This time her voice was little more than a growl. "Where have you been!" And there was the scream. "Do you have any idea what's happened? Do have even the slightest fucking idea the hell I've had literally dumped in my lap! You said you'd be here for me. You said this waiting was almost over. But you're a fucking liar and you just can't help yourself! For all I know, it's been _you_ dropping buildings on innocent people. Myself included! I thought after I escaped things would be better, but they're not! You said you'd protect me, but you're not even real!"

And that was the truth wasn't it. Her every word stung with immeasurable acerbity. He'd failed. And he knew she was right. But to hear her say it – to hear her voice crack around words so harsh. _I earned it._ And his heart broke for it. A long time ago, in a cell not unlike this one, he'd been forced to conjure his projections to be with her. It nearly killed him. Back then, she made him promise he would never do it again. Her reasons were different then, but he'd made a liar of himself. Loki had come to her in recent months only half of what he should have been. The Allfather's noose was tight. _But I could've done more. I should have._ He could see her fully restored panic that shook her hands and the way her anger fought to overcome it. But where in the dungeons she failed, this time she succeeded.

It steadied her in a way he'd never seen before. But somehow it was familiar. For a moment, she appeared to have calmed. She sat back a bit, her gaze turning elsewhere. She took a long, slow breath. Her knuckles unfurled against the floor. Loki sat up, leaning forward again to reach her. When his hand was just close enough to feel the ambient warmth of her skin, the air around her turned white hot with a foreign energy and he was sent sliding across the cell until the back of his head met the opposite wall with a loud bang. _What in the norns?_ By the time his eyes refocused, she'd finally regained her footing.

She crossed the room in a few short strides before Loki could even think to get up. "Naomi-" She swatted his hand aside and made a grab for his throat. He parried but only just. Her arm swung back and he took a poorly placed elbow instead. "Naomi, listen to me." She swung at him again. He slid his whole torso aside and her fist met the glass instead. He felt instantly apologetic for her already abused hands, but when her knuckles met the wall, he could hear the tiny fracture that had splintered in their wake. _That can't be possible._

When he chanced a look at her again, past the unending fisticuffs, he found the parasite he sought. Her eyes were a dark maroon – not their normal color by a long shot. But he knew the kind of magic that would show its face like that.

"Naomi, I need you to hear me. This isn't you." Loki vanished himself from beneath her, reappearing on the other side of the room.

"You don't know anything about me."

"I know you're hurting. And I know it's my fault." She stopped, her whole body stiffening uncomfortably. "But I can help you."

"You can't help me. No one can help me."

She sprung like a predator perched on a ledge and he reappeared behind her, locking his arms around her. On any other day, his bear hug would have been more than enough to subdue her, but she tossed him over her hip like he weighed nothing. He was going to run out of chances to subdue her at this rate. Time's up. When she raised her arm for the hammer fist, Loki grabbed her head, pressing his thumbs into her forehead.

Rurik had seeped into her mind like a poison, but Loki had learned his ways. Since he had found her, his ugly magic had infected nearly every corner of her brain, but Loki burned him out like a bad fever. Her skin flushed, but she didn't fight him. Not anymore. The anger bled out of her in droves and it left nothing in its wake. Her color suddenly drained and her eyes rolled back in her head. Her hands that were stubborn fists a moment ago fell limp at her sides. Loki could practically see the disgusting smoke seeping out of her skin. And then, just like that, it was over. That horrible feeling of tension evaporated into the air and she collapsed like a dead weight against him.

For a painful eternity, she didn't move. Her body was still, the rise and fall of her chest barely noticeable. But as the silence dragged on, she finally stirred. With a quiet groan, she opened her eyes, squinting under the bright lights, massaging the side of her head. She slowly sat up a bit and when she finally managed some semblance of bearings, her eyes met his.

"Loki?"

"Hello, darling." He brushed his fingers against the side of her face.

"You came." _You left me._ She collapsed back into his arms, burying barely smothered tears in his shirt. "I knew you'd come back. I knew it."

"I failed you, my love. I failed you and I'm so sorry." He could feel her coming apart at the seams – all the horrors of the last few days came boiling back to the surface in the form of furious tears. Her sobs made her whole body shake. "I left you exposed when I swore to protect you. For that, I will never forgive myself. But I'm here now, my love. I'm here. And I'm not going anywhere. Never again."

"He did things to me," she cried. "He was in my head – I couldn't get him out."

"I know. I know. He got to me too. But he's gone now. Your mind is your own. Just breathe." His hand was tight against her back, pressing her to his chest.

"I hurt so many people."

"It wasn't you. None of it was you. He came for you to get to me. It wasn't you. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. It was mine."

Slowly her sobs began to settle. Her breathing returned to a steady rise and fall. And then there was quiet. Quiet breaths. Quiet thoughts. Just quiet. After a time, she breathed a long and reassured sigh. Loki hadn't even known how badly he needed to hear it. She was all right. She was still here. Still his. _Mine._ And at last she felt calmed – more than she'd felt in these collective months no doubt.

Naomi opened her eyes, their deep brown color returned, save for the red around the edges from crying. Beyond that, they were clear as the day he'd met her. "Those things I said before – I didn't mean any of it. I was just scared. And angry."

"Rightfully so. I allowed myself to become distracted. For a moment I had forgotten the only thing that really matters to me. But never again." Loki's hand played in her hair as it usually did, carelessly knotting the strands as he spoke. "I understand if my word doesn't mean much right now."

Naomi sat up, her arms shaking only slightly as she pulled herself to his eye level. He watched her from where he laid. He noticed that one of the stitches on her head was missing and a small amount of blood had escaped during their little brawl. Otherwise, she was perfect – maybe a little overtired – but still perfect. She closed in slowly, to move any faster at this point would've done more harm than good, he could tell. He could almost feel her headache from here. But when her lips met his again, all of that melted away.

Norns, he'd missed her. Soft lips and wandering hands. Desperation and passion. They could never be close enough. One long, gentle press stretched into another, one moment lost into the next.

"I love you, Loki," she breathed between kisses. Her one hand was tight to the side of his face. "I will _always_ love you." Loki pressed their foreheads together, just breathing the air of her. Her hand slid back into his long black hair, but then she grabbed it and pulled just hard enough to get his attention. "But if you pull shit like that again, I won't be so fucking friendly about it."

Loki smiled, all teeth and a deviously furrowed brow. _That's my lovely little mortal._ All fire and wit. "You have my word, darling. Never again."

* * *

Back on track for now! I've had thoughts about this chapter for a very long time and some things had to be changed to fit the story and I did a tiny bit of borrowing from Ragnarok, but otherwise it's very much what I wanted it to be. However, the chapters to come are all new. In the beginning, I hadn't exactly fleshed things out this far. But it's exciting none the less. And I can't wait to finish it up and share it with you guys. I hope you're enjoying it. Your continued support is as always appreciated! Five more chapters to go! Happy reading!


	16. Chapter 16

"His name is Rurik Anskarson."

In a ten by ten square room with nothing in it but a floor and a ceiling, there weren't many places to get comfortable, especially not if one considered the amount of cameras that loomed overhead. Fortunately, Loki couldn't have cared less. He got what he wanted and it only took an ounce of humility to get it. And it was plenty comfortable leaned against the cool glass wall with Naomi curled under his shoulder. Once things had cooled down a bit, given Naomi had more modesty than he did, Loki made short work of the gash across her head and when he'd finished, the bruising on her neck had significantly faded. And the more time that passed, the more her mood improved.

"Somehow that name isn't quite ugly enough to suit his face."

"Believe me, it looks even worse looming over your shoulder every time you close your eyes." For a brief time, it wasn't even just his nightmares, it was every moment he wasn't actively avoiding it. "He has an infuriating smile."

"His voice is worse." Loki felt the slight shift in her demeanor to remember. "He would whisper. All the time, like he was standing right behind me. He knew everything. _Everything._ "

"I am, at least, partially to blame for that. I didn't know what he was capable of, not at first. He saw my memories. I don't know how much."

"What does he want?"

Loki's head met the glass with a quiet thunk, punctuated with a tired sigh. "I don't know. I have torn apart my entire library, but books can only explain so much. However, given my history, he could have any of a hundred reasons to fabricate a personal vendetta against me. For the moment, it's not terribly relevant."

"He's coming for me again, isn't he?" She already knew the answer. She began her mindless fiddling, tracing his long fingers and the edge of his tight leather sleeve. "He tried to have my sister do it the first time."

"Evelyn?"

"Gwen. I don't know if she found me on her own or maybe he went out of his way to make my almost-death as creative as possible. She seemed so genuine. But then he got to her the way he got to me." She touched the fading bruises on her neck. "He probably would have been successful too, except – well you saw what his anger made me do. I attacked an entire hoard of reporters for god's sake." She looked at the hand that touched her neck, like it wasn't her own.

"I agree his magic definitely had a very unique effect on you."

"Yeah. It was unique all right." She more spat it than said it.

"No, I mean to say that you appeared to almost be resistant to it. It pains me to admit it, but Rurik is very powerful, even I had trouble keeping him out, but the strength it afforded you – it's almost like your body harnessed his infection as a defense mechanism. I've never seen that before."

"Oh so you're saying I couldn't have taken on a half a dozen reporters without magical assistance?" She huffed in exasperation. "You have no faith in me."

"You're about the only reason I have any faith at all," he admitted casually. "But magical assistance would explain how you were able to toss me across the room without even laying a hand on me." She offered him a devious flex of her eyebrows. "I'm serious, love. It's really rather remarkable."

She shrugged. "Well it's gone now so it doesn't really matter what I was able to do with it."

"Not necessarily." And didn't that sound ominous. "Let me explain." Naomi just rolled her eyes, continuing to fiddle with the hem of his sleeve. "Rurik's magic is not like mine, however, they do have similar properties. Spells like the one he used on you are like a virus. It connected you both in a way that allowed him to see what you saw – read your memories even. It's not a simply feat, but a very possible one. Using his magic, it's an infection." He paused. "Using mine, it's a bond."

"If you really want to know what I'm thinking you could just ask."

Loki took her hands, stilling her nervous twiddling. "It wouldn't be a one way street. And given your _abilities_ , it might allow you to borrow my magic as well. Theoretically." He didn't blame her for looking so hesitant. She wasn't fond of magic. And with these most recent events, even less so. But Rurik was coming. No matter how much hope or faith he had, that monster was still coming. It was only a matter of time. And he needed to protect her. Nothing else mattered. "Naomi, I would never suggest something I thought was in anyway unsafe. Rurik's intrusions would be far less effective if you had my sei∂r as defense. And it would keep me close to you. Much closer."

She didn't like it, but that last bit was as good a selling point as any. Naomi laced her fingers with his, her grip overly tight, and with a sigh she tucked her discomfort aside. "Will your voice be in my head like his was?"

"Only if you want me there."

"And the magic thing? I can use it?"

"I can't say for sure. But I'll be right here."

She nodded, reluctantly, but she conceded. "What do I have to do?"

Loki sat her down across from him, her legs crossed and her hands on her knees. When her fingers began to twiddle again, he took her hands and kissed her. "You know what it feels like when I heal you." Naomi nodded. "Just close your eyes. Focus on how it feels. Don't fight it. Just let it wash over you. Everything will be fine."

It was a complex knot work of spells and he had never actually performed it in its entirety. There had been no need. But the sei∂r was soft and soothing as it slipped through the space between them, lacing their essence together one strand at a time. Loki's lips were a near silent litany of coaxing words to keep the spell flowing and to keep Naomi calm. Considering her previous discomforts, she was peaceful. Her grip on her knees had relaxed and her posture had eased.

By the time he was tying in the final touches, it had been nearly a half an hour. Naomi must have been thoroughly hypnotized by what he was doing, because she didn't ask. She didn't even open her eyes. Not until he put a hand on her chest, same as his own, and he finished his work. She went rigid, both her hands grabbing his wrist. It was a low and bone deep ache between them and she felt it. Loki felt her heart racing under his hand.

"You're all right, love," he said quietly. "I'm here."

She pulled away from him and her eyes opened, only now they glowed a bright green, his magic humming in the air between them. Loki smiled. "The green looks good on you, darling."

Naomi looked over herself mildly panicked, like she was making sure that nothing was missing, her eyes or otherwise. After a moment, t went back to normal and everything settled again. "Magic is freaking weird," she

"Let's just hope it worked."

The entire complex shook beneath their feet, like an earthquake in the distance. The glass rattled around them. And as soon as the ground stilled, the alarms began to sound. _No. No. Not yet. It's too soon._

He'd found them.

The ground shook again, this time closer and they stumbled to get back to their feet. "We need to get out of here."

"Yes. Being bombed once in my lifetime is plenty."

The next shudder felt like it was directly beneath them. And the next loud bang was right outside the door across the mass of cells. _Definitely time to go._ "Hold on." He wrapped an arm around her and she clung to his midsection without hesitation. Couldn't be any worse than a bifrost ride. Any place would be fine for now, he just had to get them as far away as possible. He needed time to regroup. To hide her. Somewhere. Anywhere.

Phasing through space wasn't exactly easy, but he'd done it so many times over the centuries. Portals made the task far simpler, but to create them took an immense amount of time and concentration. To teleport instead was only straining. But he bore the weight far better than others. One builds up a tolerance when they're intent to move between the realms without the gatekeeper's knowledge.

He was more than startled when they abruptly met concrete and shortly tumbled down a hallway that was no longer entirely flat. The hall was hazy with dust and the warning claxons were still blaring around them. They were still trapped somewhere in the complex. Naomi rolled over a few feet away, choking on dust. Loki was on his hands and knees still trying to figure out what had happened. "Are you all right? Naomi-"

"Yeah. I'm all right." She brushed the dust out of her eyes as she got to her feet. "What happened?"

Loki stood, looking as disconcerted as ever. "This has to be Rurik. He blocked me somehow. That shouldn't be possible, but the more lives he takes, the more power he consumes."

"I guess we're doing things the old-fashioned way then," Naomi intoned as plainly as she could. She took off down the hall, leaving Loki little choice but to follow.

"Naomi, wait. We need a plan. These people are not just going to let us walk out of here."

"Shush!" She stopped at the hall's intersection, peering cautiously around the corner. Loki could hear someone approaching at a fair jog, yelling something into a radio. Before he had time to formulate an attack strategy, Naomi had rounded the corner and caught the incoming guard at the throat with the thick of her arm. His knowledge of Earth's fighting techniques was not extensive, but it spoke so highly of its name it was hard to miss a clothesline. The agent was upended so abruptly he was in shock from whiplash before he'd even hit the floor. And by that point, he was unconscious. No doubts about it.

She shook the impact from her arm and went quickly to scavenging his body, pocketing his radio and his handgun. She'd never mentioned owning, operating or having any particular liking for guns, but she inspected it like she had years of experience. _Exactly how many hidden abilities did she have?_ They'd be having a talk about that once this whole mess cleared up. She racked the slide on the weapon and caught his befuddled stare as she checked for other agents.

She tucked the gun into the back of her pants with a rather snide look on her face. "No magic."

Loki gave her a look that under other circumstances would have led to a _my stick is bigger than yours_ conversation. And then, more than likely, stick related activities of another sort. He almost visibly shook his head to clear it. "Come on. Let's get the hell out of here."

Between what Evelyn had explained and what Naomi had divulged, she'd spent plenty enough time being dragged through this building to find her way around it. And it showed in her confident navigation through the mess of debris-clouded identical hallways. In the chaos of the crumbling building, they got around without too much interference. And Loki made short work of any that they did encounter. But he made a conscious decision to keep the magic to a minimum. If Rurik was somehow able to prevent him from leaving, he could only assume he could track any other magic he used.

"The entrance isn't far, but it's probably ten stories above us."

"And where are the stairs?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I've always used the elevator. I've never needed to know where the stairs are. It's not like I work here."

She glanced down the next hall. It was hard to see much of anything. Only the emergency lights were functioning. And it seemed like every few minutes there was a dusting from the ceiling above as Rurik blew his way through the complex. It was hard to tell where it was coming from at any given time, it was just noise and complete mayhem. The radio clipped onto Naomi's pants was a cacophony of pain and death. People were screaming – calling out for help that wouldn't come. He couldn't be stopped. Not by them, at least.

"I don't suppose you have a map," Loki offered, not at all hopeful.

She seemed piqued by that comment. She rounded the corner, running her hands along the wall. She ran the entire length of this hall and the next before she found what she was looking for. Blowing the dust off the wall revealed a miniature map of this area of the complex and more importantly, their way out.

"Map. Good call."

Another loud bang resonated somewhere overhead. "Time to go," Loki said. They took off on their new path, this time at a fair jog, not minding their corners as carefully. They were both aware that their time was running short to get out of here. If Rurik didn't find them, he'd bury them soon enough. The glowing red exit sign had finally come into view just ahead, but about fifteen agents poured out of the stairwell in question. _Not good._

"Don't move!"

"You have to let us go or this is never gonna stop!" Naomi had her hands halfway up in surrender. Their current captors didn't buy it. "This whole place is gonna be a hole in the ground any minute. You have you let us leave."

"I said don't move or we will fire."

She exchanged glances with Loki. _Not good at all._ Lucky for them, a huge chunk of the ceiling dropped almost on top of them. However, their luck was mildly questionable when a huge crack of lightning brought Thor in right behind it. The oaf always did know how to make an entrance. The only plus side was that the ten tons of rock he dropped fell between them and the men with guns. And they all took off running without a single word about it.

"Fury! Fury you asshole," Naomi yelled into the radio. "I know you're watching us. You have to call off your men. Rurik is after me. He'll tear this whole fucking building down if you don't let us go." They took incoming rubble in stride, but they were running out of places to run. "Fury!"

"Thor may have better luck with that, love."

Mjolnir made short work of the next avalanche of concrete and steel girders. Naomi offered him a nasty look before handing him the walkie and continued on. She walked much closer to Loki than she had before, but it felt more like a backoff message to Thor than a need for protection.

They'd reduced speed. The building was becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. The halls had become a veritable labyrinth. They could only hope Rurik was having as much trouble locating them as they were finding a way out.

"Fury, this is Thor. The woman speaks the truth. This man is too powerful. You have to let us go or your men are going to die."

Still no response.

"He could be dead. God knows who's left alive in this mess," Naomi offered unenthusiastically as they came to a stop at a new dead-end. "Maybe Mr. Hammer can just blow us a nice hole in the ceiling."

"I apologize, Miss Naomi, but I'm afraid it would do more harm than good."

"Don't talk to me like you know me," she growled, getting as close to being up in his face as she could manage given her height. Loki couldn't say for sure, but Thor may have actually backpedaled a bit. Imagined or not, it made him smile.

The radio crackled angrily in Thor's hand. Nothing but static at first, but then half-audible words. "Fury, is that you?" Another burst of static. "Hello? Can anyone hear me?"

"Sta- coming – move out! – respond."

He shook his head. "I can't tell what he's saying."

Naomi snatched the radio back, fussing with the dials until the voice on the other end cleared a bit. "If you can hear – he's coming!" Definitely the director's voice. "No one left - He's coming for the girl! He knows – knows where you are!"

Naomi glanced around nervously.

"Time to go." His slimy presence hadn't made itself known yet, but more than half the building was in ruins and they were running out of places to hide. And somehow he suspected Rurik would know if he'd killed them by accident.

Thor punched a hole through the dead end they'd encountered. It wasn't exactly structurally stable, but it was better than having the ceiling dropped on them. Thor barged through first, allowing the other two to follow without having to squeeze. On the other side, Naomi managed to identify their location and possibly another set of stairs. They were so close Loki could practically smell the outside world. He'd never been happier to see stairs in his life. Thor busted the entire door down, frame and all. He held the flank a moment longer and Loki all but dragged her up the stairs two or three at a time.

They made it about seven floors up without any trouble, but their time had run short. Loki was still taking the concrete steps in leaps and bounds when the side of the stairwell opened up in a huge explosion. This level of the stairs had become an enormous chasm between them. And Naomi was right in the middle of it. Her hand was still tight in his, but she was falling with no ground left to stand on. Time felt paused – or slowed to the point it was barely moving. She was floating in the space between the two flights of stairs. Her clothes and her long hair lifted as she dropped. Her eyes blew wide, but he could see the focus. She wouldn't let go. And she had a plan.

She would be grabbing for the ledge when she finally reached it. And she was strong. Between Loki's grip and the one she'd soon have on the broken remains of the step would be more than enough. Thor was standing a few floors below. She would be safe. But before he could even blink, Rurik had appeared in the air behind her, looming in a cloud of disgusting black energy. His arms slipped around her and she fell right into his grasp. And he breathed the air of her like he had all the time in the world. And all at once the flow of time returned to normal.

" _Loki!_ "

He felt her fingers ripped from his and in a flash of bright white light she was gone. She was gone. And what remained of the building came tumbling down behind them.

* * *

There ya go. Nice long chapter for you guys! Only 4 chapters left! I guess I should probably finish those up lol I do have to mention that it was super weird bringing Thor into this. So much has happened since I wrote the first one and it's really hard not to write the Thor from like Thor Ragnarok, cuz compared to the first Thor he's like totally different. Anyway, it's just strange. Plus, I was never good at writing for him anyway. Which is why you collectively only saw him for like five minutes in the first one lol I just accepted quite a large art commission, but I'm hoping it won't interfere with me keeping to a weekly schedule for these last few chapters, but if I miss a week, you know why. As always, thanks so much for reading! Love you guys!

P.S. I met a guy from the U.K. the other day who knew who Tom was and for some reason that was really exciting to me.

That is all. Carry on!


	17. Chapter 17

Waking up with a headache was becoming unfortunately routine for her. She could have made an irritated comment about that in the moments after she woke when the world hadn't quite stopped spinning, but then it all came flooding back. _Not again._ Her stomach swelled with nausea and the back of her neck stung with panic. She was tied to a chair. The armrests felt like giant splinters and she half expected rope burns around her wrists and ankles, but there was nothing there. If she closed her eyes, she would say that she was bound across her chest too. But she was just sitting in this old ass chair. There were maroon flakes of completely dried paint stuck under her fingernails. What her bare feet were enduring was worse.

The floor was like aged tile, or rather, the remains of super old linoleum that had been worn away in large holes by god knows what. Where the tile had worn away into concrete there were puddles of stagnant water. Or she hoped it was water. It was almost warm and it stuck to the bottoms of her feet in a way that didn't feel like water. Her toes bumped something that definitely wasn't water or tile, but it was floating. So she pulled her heels all the way to the legs of the chair.

The first time, it was her own fault for not wearing shoes when she was abducted. But this time, she'd basically been dragged out of her damn bed. _Why the fuck_ would _I be wearing shoes?_ Her pajamas had been through the ringer, but in her predicament, she was just happy to still have her clothes on.

As her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, she found a room in about the state she'd expected. It was some kind of abandoned structure; god knows where. The leftover aesthetics of the room that may have actually been functional once spoke of a kitchen. But what remained to suggest it was merely plumbing and gas lines sticking out of the floor. The walls around her were black, almost charred, and the wood looked mangled in places. But in the cleaner areas, they were marked with brightly colored spray paints. The various handwritings were illegible, but it spoke of dilapidation that didn't exist anywhere near her last location. But it was Earth and for now that was the only thing that was relevant.

"Cozy, isn't it?"

Rurik appeared leaning against what was once probably a countertop. The old wood squealed in protest. He was shorter than she'd expected. Still plenty tall, but Loki's lithe stature made everyone look short and stocky. She recognized his face, but like a stranger she'd passed on the street once. Their first encounter was still hazy, though much improved since Loki had freed her from his grasp. Then he was only a shadow from a dream she couldn't remember. Now he was here, standing not twenty feet away from her.

He appeared human enough and not entirely unattractive, as much as it sickening her to even think such a thing. His clothes were not of this world. They were like the peasant version of Loki's usual garb. His hair was well kept, but very short compared to the Asgardians she'd encountered so far. Nothing about him was familiar, just rough edges around a shadow she only half-remembered. But his voice – that she knew. A flutter of anxiety rolled over her to hear it again. It was only slightly less chilling in person rather than breathed down the back of her neck.

"I rather like places like this," he continued. "They tell so many stories. Not often good ones. But that's history for you."

She watched him intently. There wasn't a whole lot else she could do. She could only move enough to make the chair creak. And even though her captor's gaze was elsewhere, she could feel him watching her. "Speaking of history, I'd be delighted to hear about yours."

Naomi glowered at him. "You've seen enough."

"Yes, but hearing the gritty details from the victim is so much more enticing."

"Go fuck yourself."

Rurik laughed. "You are quite the little spitfire." His finger traced a kitchen knife that he'd procured from somewhere. It looked older than dirt. "Must be why he likes you so much."

She felt him again. The strange sensation that she'd become very familiar with these past few days permeated the room. It moved erratically like smoke around the room, looking for some way in. Her throat closed up and her hands started to shake and sweat. _No. No. Please, no._ She felt the space around her tighten and warm like a suffocating cloud. But it didn't get in. He pushed and probed – she could feel the magic swimming around her head. It didn't get in. _He can't get in._ Loki's magic felt like a blanket all around her, cool and comforting. It worked. Naomi calmed and took a long, slow breath.

Rurik smiled, but this time it wasn't amused. "He can't protect you forever," he growled.

"What makes you think I need protecting," she growled back. She did. But that didn't mean she had to admit it.

"Because _you_ are the only thing he cares about. To kill him would be wasteful. He's done it so many times after all. But to kill you," he whispered, suddenly standing behind her, "now that would be a sentence far worse than death."

"What did he ever do to you?"

He walked around her, his fingers dancing across her back. "It takes a monster to know a monster." He wasn't completely wrong, but he wasn't very specific either. "While my atrocities are rather _straightforward_ , your boyfriend, well, there's a special place in Hel for those that seek to destroy entire planets in the name of peace."

He couldn't be talking about Earth. She hadn't a clue where he was from, but he definitely wasn't human. And Naomi remembered cold, blue skin marked with ornate raised lines. Not Earth. Loki's home world. The name escaped her. She only remembered it sounded pretty on his tongue. According to him, they were normally enormous, icy monsters, but if he could hide it, she supposed someone else could too. _God, I hate magic._

"These realms enjoyed uninterrupted peace for centuries. I lived a quiet life on Vanahiem with my family for more than half of that time." Well, at least he wasn't going to turn enormous and blue. The large knife he kept picking at her chair with was plenty for her to deal with already. " _Until_ that ever-so-righteous prince attempted to wipe Jotunheim from the cosmos and in doing so obliterated the bifrost – the only thing holding the Nine together. The only thing holding the rest of the monsters at bay."

Loki had spoken many times about the final terms he'd been serving, collecting the monsters Rurik spoke of. When Thor had broken the rainbow bridge to stop Loki's first attempt at mass genocide, all manner of awful spilled out in its wake. He had done well to collect them, if there was any truth in what he'd told her. But odds are they'd been running rampant the entire two years Loki was imprisoned. Rurik didn't offer anything further, but the slightest change in his demeanor spoke of everything he didn't. Loki hadn't explained Rurik's magic in detail, but she could only think of a few things she'd be willing to sell her soul for.

"I am a firm believer in the eye for an eye philosophy," he said, with his normal unsettling demeanor returned. "I have seen your connection. Now, stronger than ever." He admired her eyes as if he knew what Loki had done. "That makes you a means to an end." His hand against the back of the chair suddenly knotted in her hair and yanked a little too hard. She grit her teeth to remain silent. "Loki needs to suffer. And unfortunately, that means you need to suffer."

She could practically feel his chin against her shoulder. He was almost that close. "It's nothing personal, darling." He tore the knife across the back of her knuckles and this time she couldn't hold her silence. She squirmed against her invisible binds, but her wrists were pinned. "He'll be coming for you." He slid the knife across her other hand with equal severity. "It's only a matter of time."

Loki's hands burned so bad they shook. Of all the pain he felt in that moment, buried under ten tons of rubble, his hands should have been the least of his worries. His lungs ached like he had a hole punched through at least one of them. He pushed at the huge slab of rock that had pinned him to the floor. Even if he did have the strength of an Asgardian, he suspected the lack of leverage would have been a more pressing issue. Poor choice of words, he thought. He could barely breathe. But the burn in his hands was worse.

He could hear Thor's voice somewhere in the mess and it wasn't long before the weight on his chest began to loosen. Brick by brick he was freed, until the last slab of ceiling was lifted. Thor overturned it like it was nothing, although once he pulled himself free he looked just as worse for the wear. His armor had taken a few good scrapes, but he was fine. Loki on the other hand very much looked like he'd been buried alive. His clothes were disheveled and his hair was even more unruly than usual. And his face hadn't seen this much sweat and grime in ages.

"Loki, are you all right?"

He could still feel the horrifying sensation as Naomi's hand was ripped from his. She cried out for him just before she vanished – before Rurik took her. His hands still burned – his knuckles more specifically. When he looked down at them he should've seen something, but there was nothing but dust. _Naomi._ Her hands were bleeding – where Rurik had drawn a blade across her knuckles. His connection to her had never been clearer, but it only hurt him worse to look.

She grit her teeth so hard he felt it. Her eyes were closed, but he could feel his grip on the back of her neck. She couldn't move, though she struggled. She was only a step short of panic, but she denied him the pleasure of her tormented cries as best she could. Loki still heard them – the terrified thoughts that ran through her head. But also the reassuring ones. He didn't want her at all and she knew it. It was only a game. She was a means to an end. Her only purpose was to make him suffer and so far it was working. _I'm sorry, Loki._

 _No, love, don't be sorry. This is my fault. Mine._

Her thoughts stilled and her eyes opened, but she didn't see him. She saw Rurik. And he stared right back at Loki watching from where he stood. And that monster just laughed. "Only you can end this," he said.

"You're going to kill me anyway," Naomi spat. He was close enough that he probably felt it hit his face. But Rurik wasn't talking to her. He drew his blade across the unprotected flesh of her neck, enough to hurt but not to kill.

"But there's so much fun to be had before then," he cooed at the crook of her neck. "Better hurry."

"Loki?" Thor's hand met his shoulder and he almost stabbed him as his mind came back to his own body. "It's just me." Thor pushed his dagger aside. In all honesty, Thor being Thor didn't make him any less of a stabbing target. "Look I know you don't want my help-"

"Actually, I think I do." Thor probably would've dropped his hammer if it wasn't already on the ground. "Rurik's power keeps growing and ever since he got inside my head, he's more than one step ahead of me. However, fighting side by side with you is about as far out of the realm of predictability as I could be."

"Oh indeed. I can't recall the last time you even stood next to me of your own free will. Fair enough plan."

"If I know anything at all about Rurik, he will kill her no matter what if it means hurting me. I don't think there's anything I can say that will change that. This won't be a game of words or wit," he admitted solemnly.

"Fortunately words were never my strong suit." Mjolnir leapt back into her wielder's hand. "So what's the plan?"

He couldn't think past the pain resonating through his new bond with Naomi. All he could manage was an unimaginable amount of horrific deaths for Rurik to endure. Each one worse than the next. But a plan was beyond him. "No plan."

"How very unlike you."

"All the better under the circumstances, I think."

"Do you at least have a plan for locating your lady friend?" Loki leveled him a disapproving look. "Apparently I'm not supposed to address her like I know her."

"Don't pretend like you don't know why. She has every right to blame you."

Thor shook his head. "I admitted my fault, Loki, long ago. I've done everything I can to make it right."

"Well sometimes no matter how hard you try, you can't make things right." His spite was a bright hot flame between them, but Thor conceded without any trouble.

"I won't fight you, brother. I don't deny the injustices you've suffered, but all of that is behind us now. Odin is as good as gone."

Loki stopped. "He's dead? Truly?"

"Not yet. But the healers said there is nothing more they can do for him. It's only a matter of time now."

He was honestly stuck somewhere between relief and surprise. It didn't feel real. He'd waited for so long to be free of his tyranny, but he had never truly expected for it to end this way. Loki sighed. There wasn't time to dwell on it now. "I'm sorry, brother."

"Despite your usually malevolent intentions, this was not your doing. Rurik will pay for what he's done. Now how do we find him?"

"I already found them."

Over time, pain lessens and tolerance builds. But there were other things to be said about torture. When someone cracks their head on concrete, the knowledge exists that eventually, the pain will dissipate. But when someone tortures you, there is no foreseeable end. Her whole body was pain and not the whole body ache her explosion incident had caused, no, every part of her body was a screaming pain from numerous bleeding wounds. If she didn't move, it wasn't so bad, but even the slightest twitch and every cut was a sharp pain that made her eyes water. But at least Rurik was gone. For now.

He'd seen something. When she heard Loki's voice, he had seen something. His laugh was proof enough of that. And then he pinched her cheek like she was a child and walked off without anything more.

Alone, she had a moment to breathe – a moment to think.

Loki's voice had been unbelievably soothing and not simply because it was his. It came like a cool breeze against her skin, a soft whisper that washed her fears aside. She realized after his voice had gone silent but the feeling remained that it was magic. She was no fan, but the feeling it left her with was comforting. It offered an almost eerie calm. And hopefully a way out too.

He'd called it a bond. That was somewhere to start, she supposed. It was a two-way street. Give and take. Back and forth. She looked inside, to the place where Rurik had been, the place where his haunting voice laid in wait and whispered misfortune and mayhem. He was gone now, every trace of him removed. But she could feel now that something much more welcome had filled the space instead. Where Rurik's magic had been a constant burn, Loki's was cool and flowing. It was an emerald pool of energy that swirled contently in the nook he had made for it. She imagined at the bottom there would be a channel where the waters flowed gently between them. Push and pull. Balanced.

His magic in her was dormant, simply swirling about contentedly – carelessly. A crash course in magic-bond usage would have been really helpful right about now. She tried to quiet everything else so that maybe Loki's voice would come through again. She didn't hear words per say, but when she focused she felt thoughts. At least, she thought they were thoughts. It was a mottled mix of unprocessed information, but it felt like Loki. She let his thoughts wash over her and it was as close to putting yourself in someone's shoes as was probably possible. All at once everything made sense. His seidr flowed from its keep at her hesitant command and it felt surprisingly natural like she'd done it her entire life. Well, Loki had.

His stream of consciousness guided her, whether he was actively doing it or not. When she opened her eyes, her hands were surrounded by fiery green smoke. _All right that is a little bit cool._ She watched it with absent curiosity as it twirled around her knuckles like it had a mind all its own. The slices across her hands began to seal and soon the pain was only a memory. In her hands, anyway. She inhaled another calming breath and let the magic spread.

With the pain at least partially alleviated, she refocused on her binds. It was strange; with Loki's magic, she could almost see them now. Not really, but there was a sort of understood shadow that spoke of the sort of magic it was. And more importantly how to escape it. Loki's knowledge flowed through her and she slowly unwove the spell, not knowing quite what she was doing. But before long the pressure against her wrists was gone, followed shortly by the rest. Naomi jumped out of the chair as soon as she was able, rubbing where the magic had been sitting against her skin.

Rurik reappeared just in time to grab her. She hadn't made it three steps before his arms surrounded her. "Get off of me!" She squirmed and swung and scratched without making any progress at all. "Let me go! You grimy bastard!"

"You should really learn to be nicer to people who are planning to kill you."

"If you're really planning to kill me, then what the fuck have I got to lose?'

Rurik offered her a chuckle. "It's not about what you've got to lose. But don't worry, Loki should be here any minute now."

She couldn't think. Could Loki even stop him? He probably wouldn't kill her if Loki wasn't watching. Maybe if Loki stayed away – _what? Buy for time?_ It wouldn't do much else. She grit her teeth in frustration. _I can't do this._ _I'm not a fucking hostage negotiator._ Rurik dragged her outside, his hand an iron grip on the back of her neck. The overcast light outside burned her eyes at first, but after a moment her vision cleared to reveal a worn down porch that opened up into a clearing. It could have been a very large yard at one point, but all that was left was dirt and dead grass. There would've been tumbleweeds if it weren't a semi-wooded area.

They could've been anywhere. Any mildly rural area in the country for that matter. Or possibly even another country. Who knows? Loki knew. She could feel him. Thunder rolled in, low and quiet across the sky. A cool wind rustled the trees only a few miles off. He was coming and she was terrified. And it only got worse when he finally appeared. One moment there was only dry Earth and the next Loki came forward with Thor at his side. They came forward with purpose until Rurik revealed the knife he'd been using to pick at the back of her shirt.

"That's far enough," Rurik said plainly, positioning the knife much closer to her neck.

Thor didn't stop until Loki's outstretched arm met his chest. The blonde barbarian's gaze demanded bloodshed. She'd have expected that of Loki, but he looked fairly calm all things considered. But she could feel the tension through their bond – the amount of effort it took to stay rooted where he stood. "You have my attention, Rurik. You've earned your piece. Now say it so that we may end this."

Rurik's laugh was much angrier now – shorter. His rage towards Loki was almost a radiating heat beside her. And it prickled her skin to stand so close. "There's only one way this ends. If you've learned anything by now it should be that! But I suppose we should talk about what you _don't_ know. It should be obvious – by now you should know how many lives you've destroyed. You took my family. I take yours." She felt the blade against her neck, another clean slice opening beneath it.

"Rurik, please. There must be another way. Take me. She's done nothing."

"Her fate was sealed the moment she sided with you." His dark elf magic clouded the air between them. The tumultuous skies above them didn't help. The clouds thickened and the thunder growled louder. "There will be no words – no peaceful resolution," he spat. "This girl will die and there isn't a lie you can concoct that will save her!" With one swift motion, he snapped her leg like a dead branch beneath his foot and she dropped with an agonizing scream.

" _Stop this! Please_. It doesn't have to be this way." Naomi heard the desperation in his voice, but the words were fuzzy. The pain in her leg was unbearably jarring. She could feel the bones, now shattered and crushed against each other.

"Yes. That's it." Rurik offered an angry laugh. "Beg. It sounds good on you."

Naomi's whole body swayed. She tried to focus, but her vision wavered. The pain was blinding. The clearing around her was a blur with a few darker specks in the distance. She tried to find Loki, but the only thing clear enough for her to keep her eyes on was Rurik, or the side of him, perhaps. He'd been holding her up a moment ago, but she had slumped to the ground now. Her captor still had a tight grip on her shirt, since her neck was too far to reach now. She pulled mindlessly at the fabric to keep it from strangling her or tearing off entirely.

"What happened to you and your family – the fault is mine," Loki began. "And mine alone. _Please,_ let her go."

 _Naomi._ Her ears perked up, but the voice was too close to be audible. _Naomi, can you hear me?_ She looked around, still plenty dizzy. _I'm going to hope that's a yes. Listen to me, love, you can do this. You've made it this far, my darling. You're so strong. You've tested our bond. I felt it. Don't be afraid, love. What's mine is yours._ She might have seen him step closer, but Rurik was still listening intently. "Your power is unquestionable. You'd know if I spoke anything but the truth. Take my life for hers."

 _You don't need me to save you anymore._

Naomi's vision cleared as he poured his magic through their bond. It rushed through her in waves and within seconds it felt like a high. With her every breath it settled deeper under her skin. Her mind was calm and perfectly lucid. She glanced up at Rurik, her pain merely an ache in the back of her mind. It had escaped her notice until now – survival instincts obviously made her injured leg take precedence – but the old kitchen knife that had served as leverage against her throat was gone now. She found it in his hand, carelessly hanging at his side. He basked in the words Loki spoke, soaking up every ounce of his humility, even if he was only the distraction. She could do this. _I can do this._

It was such a long time ago now, but there was one trick of his that Naomi remembered quite well. For days on end, Loki conjured things into her cell. All sorts of things. Real things. Somehow it made sense now. She pictured their escape from S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. She recalled as clearly as she could the handgun she'd absconded with only hours ago. She didn't know where it was now. But she didn't have to. She just pictured it with vivid clarity – the matte black finish and all its moving parts. She couldn't explain what all of them did, but several firearms safety courses had taught her enough. She pictured checking the safety before she'd tucked it into the back of her waistband for safekeeping.

It was there now. It appeared in the span of a second like it had been there all along. Loki would have made it look fluid and masterful, but she just sat up a bit straighter, her outstretched broken leg protesting even that small movement. She took a quiet deep breath and called on Loki's magic for focus. She couldn't miss. But she could feel the reassuring warmth that surrounded her.

 _You don't need me to save you._

Naomi pulled the gun from its keep and racked the slide. Now or never. She fell onto her back, her shirt tearing out of his grasp as she hit the dirt. And without thought or hesitation, she fired.

* * *

Hey everyone! So sorry for the delay. This art commission has been consuming pretty much all of my time, so the last few chapters may take longer than I had hoped. But don't fret. We are so near to the end and I will do my best to wrap things up in a timely fashion. My apologies for leaving you on a sort of a cliffhanger on this one but I just can't help myself lol And there haven't been many this story so I had to do it lol. At least it was a long chapter. I'd love to hear your thoughts, as always. Thanks for your unending support through this process. I'm so excited! Nearly there! I suppose it's a little sad too. But it'll be worth it after all this, you have my word! See you all soon! Happy reading!


	18. Chapter 18

Just an update! I was made aware of a timeline error I somehow totally missed. It has been corrected now, but I just wanted to clarify that Odin is not dead yet. Ma bad! So sorry! That's what I get for not having a beta reader lol Carry on!

* * *

So many things had crossed her mind in that tiny fragment of time, but Loki had only caught maybe half of it. She'd covered every angle, or done her best to considering what she knew and didn't know. She could only know what Loki knew and he knew full well that a bullet wouldn't stop him. Rurik pulled power from places unknown to most of the cosmos and with every life he took, he got stronger. No doubt after dropping that S.H.I.E.L.D. building on the thousands of people still trapped inside of it, he had power enough to foresee a potential fatality coming his way. But Naomi didn't think like Rurik did or even like Loki did.

 _You don't need me to save you._

She knew she couldn't kill him. But she knew she didn't have to. She simply removed the only obstacle keeping the people who could at a standstill. From the ground where she laid, she took aim and blew a hole right through his hand. The knife flew from reach and she rolled out of the way. And Loki and Thor had moved long before he could think to take after her. _My clever mortal._ Loki was a backstabber with the best of them, but Naomi struck where he didn't think he needed protection and for now, it had saved her life. Unfortunately, they still had larger problems left to solve, most importantly, how to stop him once and for all. If it could even be done. _Only one way to find out._

Thor launched a blinding assault. Quite literally in fact, as strands of white-hot lightning struck the earth around them, burning the ground wherever it touched. No plan, no problem. Rurik nursed his hand for barely a moment before he met Thor's thunderous wrath with an explosion of his own. It hadn't occurred to him so far how he'd been tearing down these buildings with such ease, but it was obvious now. Loki could see the way the magic built behind his hands and then with only the slightest touch to the ground there was an explosion of earth quaking magnitude.

The entire clearing erupted, the ground cracking open around them. Chasms and cliff-sides were created where the land had once been flat. The house they'd occupied only moments ago dropped into a pit that buried it up to the second floor. Naomi had disappeared from view, having rolled into a ditch created from the explosion. It took more than a little balanced maneuvering to keep upright in the wave pool he'd created of the earth, but the haze it lifted was exactly the cover they needed.

Thor's eyes glowed pale blue and while he was fairly sure that didn't help him see any better, he navigated the resulting dust cloud with relative ease. Loki could hear when Mjolnir made contact, although he couldn't tell against what. He could only hope the unlucky body part was now severely broken. But the sounds that echoed to the outskirts he now traversed told a different story. Surely before his dealings with the dark elves Rurik had little hope of going toe to toe with Thor, most people couldn't, but he was certainly managing it now. Loki had heard Thor train long enough to know what it sounded like when he took a good hit.

He slinked through the gradually settling haze, listening intently, and all the while he was plotting a mile a minute. This couldn't go on. It was only a matter of time before the damage he wrought would be beyond the realm of repairable. _Yes, fortunately, it was only my leg._ Naomi's voice was an irritated jab in his direction from somewhere across the field. Through her, all he could smell was dirt – it was like breathing dirt. He could feel it on his tongue like she'd taken a solid mouthful. It was grit between her teeth as she bit down hard, the pain in her leg making it hard to stay quiet. She rolled further into the ditch where she'd landed and was immediately tending to her very broken leg. She didn't miss a beat. And if he read her train of thought correctly, there was some kind of joke to be made about boy scouts.

She learned fast, he could offer her that without a doubt. Naomi funneled his magic carefully between the breaks in the bones. She'd never mend them – not in so short a time and not under duress, but she'd save her leg. And the pain would subside enough to walk on it, more than likely. _I've endured worse,_ she assured him.

 _That's not really something to be proud of, darling._

 _What can I say? I'm a survivor._

 _After this,_ he promised her, _there will be no more horrors for you to survive._

Rurik caught him off guard. Not only because Naomi had stolen his attention, more so because he could still hear the echoes of his battle with Thor. For a moment he only counted two: the one that had nearly cut him off at the knees and one that was laying a noteworthy beating on his brother. But before long there were ten, possibly more, full-fledged projections. Thor was being dogpiled. Loki had a dagger in either hand and was still losing his footing across this new mountainous terrain. He noted that with anything even close to a fatal strike, they vanished. As if he had something to lose. But where one evaporated, another took its place. They couldn't go on like this.

As the haze finally settled, the scene was clear. They weren't winning this fight. Not hardly. But a quick flurry of gunfire certainly helped. It had to be magic, Loki decided, when each of those bullets came just close enough to vanish four of his clones. She didn't blink. She probably didn't breathe. She was just perched in the ditch, hands braced on her weapon barely visible over the rise.

No time to let up.

Loki launched his daggers, one in either direction. Both of Rurik's projections could have avoided them without too much trouble, but they vanished like the rest, reappearing elsewhere, looking even angrier than before. Especially the one that was charging toward Naomi's dugout. He slid in, spraying her with dirt, but Loki made use of the closest weapon he could grab and made a deadly projectile out of a rather blunt stabbing weapon. The projection disappeared and Loki rolled into the ditch where it might have landed had there actually been a body to hit her.

"Hello darling."

Naomi fished the weapon out of the uprooted grass where it landed and Loki immediately stuck it back in its keep. "Is that my pen?" He smothered a smile. "I've been looking for that."

"No, you haven't. And it's mine." He flicked her chin and kissed her dirty face and then charged back in for the mass of Ruriks trying to outlast Thor's latest lightning blast.

They weren't winning this fight. But given they were all still standing, they technically weren't losing it either. Time to level the playing field. Even if for just long enough to formulate a functioning plan. Or rather, convince himself that his current plan was actually going to work. And with that said, he conjured enough of his own projections to even the odds.

But there was no such thing as even odds. Barely even good odds. Not anymore. Not for a long time. Long before Rurik had come into their lives. Ever since their escape from those wretched dungeons, Loki's odds of ever seeing her again were only as good as he made them. _And I could've done better. So much better._ And from his painfully short amount of time with her of late, her odds seemed far worse than his.

Loki's projections met Rurik's head on, but it was all essentially for show. It was a game of smoke and mirrors that barely bought them time. If he wanted to face them head-on, he could do it. But he played along. The monster liked games. Thankfully, Loki had been conjuring his trump card since before Rurik had even laid down his hand. Of course, he didn't feel any more confident for it. After all, it wasn't like he could test something like this.

Poor odds indeed.

In the evolving fray, he'd long lost track of how many strikes he'd parried or how many hits he'd taken along the way. It didn't matter. Nothing else mattered. He could think of nothing beyond the quiet fear that echoed between his new bond to Naomi. He couldn't distinguish if it was hers or his own. He eventually decided it was mutual. They just wanted all of this to be over. She deserved to be safe. After all of this, he owed her that much. That and more.

He chanced a look her way and was as always pleasantly reassured. She was up on her feet again, the only indication of her broken leg a very large bruise, as she tackled the tough terrain with ease. Of course, she didn't need either leg to land a few more good shots that vanished more of Rurik's clones. Their persistence far surpassed irritating. And her gun only had so many bullets. Had her mind not been subtly siphoning information between them, he would have been shocked when she threw the weapon into the dirt and grabbed his face, thumbs digging into his eyes.

All Loki could think was _ouch_. The Vanir and Asgardian alike were swordsmen. It was brutal as anything but somehow burrowing your fingers into someone's eye sockets seemed worse. Were he not attempting to control a half dozen of his projections in full combat, he would have laughed at the brutality of it. To see Naomi's tiny frame hanging onto Rurik, her hands still scratching at his face after he managed to pry her thumbs out of his eyes, and Rurik making all kinds of pain filled noises, it was just too good.

Thor on the other hand actually did laugh. Laying in the dirt with two clones attempting valiantly to hold him there, he offered a full-bellied laugh in her direction, before Mjolnir whisked his small dog-pile away.

Loki only caught glances after that, the hoard slowly tightening around he and Thor. But Loki could feel her focus and something that bordered on fury. Her every move, after he escaped having his eyes forced into his head, was targeted and precise. Surely a combination of her training and his. It was feral but controlled. And Rurik had no defense for it. Although, it didn't seem like he was trying. Each punch was a hit that he took without trying to avoid it. There were only a few that he carelessly brushed aside. But her barrage continued. She should've tired, but it didn't show. Naomi took his every advance in stride. She wasn't making much headway, but she was certainly holding her own.

In that moment, a tiny flicker of hope stole his attention. His plan could work, once he found the real Rurik. It was only a matter of time before one of them landed a blow against real flesh. It could work. They still had a chance. Naomi was all right.

Naomi was all right.

But Rurik would stop at nothing.

All at once the air stilled, as his next strike met nothing but air. Thor the same. They stood at opposite sides of an empty space with nothing between them but dirt and humidity. And the only Rurik that remained was the one Naomi still held at arm's length. _No. No no no!_

Loki had seen it before – seen it long before it happened. He'd done it himself. More than once, in fact. And it succeeded every single time. Their newly formed bond was wrought with flustered panic. One warning compiled on top of the other until it was nothing but screams. If she heard, she didn't understand. She glanced at him and he could see the realization cross her features before they reverted back to anger. _No no no._ Naomi blocked his next jab, but before she could figure out what had happened before Loki could form the words that might save her, she'd taken a blade through the back.

Her arms fell limp at her sides, with no one there to fight anymore. Rurik stood behind her like he'd been there all along, both his hands fisted around a long curved blade that was more magic than metal. And Naomi just hung there, the bond between them nothing but pain and panic. No words, just frenzied thoughts, and fear. Intense and unending fear. Her eyes met the weapon that pierced through her abdomen and he could see the acceptance in her face. Her shirt was soaked with blood already. And Rurik just watched him – most assuredly taking pleasure in his horror. He held Loki's eyes – he barely blinked. And then he shoved Naomi off the end of the blade and over the newly cracked edge in the earth.

Though she hadn't been inside his head for very long, the sudden silence was startling.

One moment he was sickened by the indescribable feeling of falling, and the next there was nothing at all. No pain. No fear. No clue that there was anything left at all. His heartfelt still in his chest like it had been yanked clean of its strings. The complete and utter disconnect that followed – he mine as well have felt nothing at all. Thor barreled after her and Rurik didn't even try to intervene. He just watched as Loki's entire world fell apart. And there'd be no picking up the pieces this time.

He skimmed over denial and barreled full throttle into anger, his grief an unparalleled expression of rage. And now, he had nothing left to lose.

Loki conjured one of his daggers, but this one he'd paid a lot of extra attention to of late. One side of the blade was coated in dried blood – _his_ blood. Not much, but enough. According to his books, it took only a single drop. A single drop and a long litany of spells. But the ancient words were fluid on his lips. With every step he took closer to Rurik, the words poured faster and faster, blurring into one carefully enunciated utterance.

The spell-work flowed quickly through his veins, permeating every pore until his blood was polluted with it. It was like acid, torching every nerve, seeking escape. And then he drew the tainted blade across his palm, his blood leeching out underneath it. It smelled like smoke and seir. The blade shined with fresh blood and it was hungry for more.

Rurik smiled. He wanted this. He wanted Loki to fight it out. He wanted to see the full force of Loki's pain-filled rage. But it wasn't there. Not yet. _Not yet._

"How does it feel trickster – to lose the only thing you care about in this world?" Some of the malice had gone from his voice then – as if his crusade had reached his righteous end. But Loki could feel it, the way the demons that fueled him still hungered for more. The Rurik that began this foolish quest may have laid down his arms and taken his victory for what it was, but this Rurik was as far from Vanir as he could be anymore. And he wouldn't stop. He would never stop.

Loki leveled him a dangerous look and Rurik saw it. "You think you can stop me." Rurik was already fueling up for another attack. "I made a deal with the devil. No one can stop me."

Loki tightened his grip on the bloodied blade in his hand. "Deals were made to be broken." Loki jabbed hard and it took almost no effort to sideswipe his careless defense. Prior to the blade breaking skin Rurik might have laughed at his futile attempt to make a point, until he realized what Loki had done.

By the time he realized it, Loki was two moves ahead. Rurik would pay his debts, but the gifts he'd bought would serve him no longer. The invincibility they had afforded him seeped out of his pores, evaporating into the cooling afternoon air. He scrambled to somehow contain it, but this time there would be no escape.

And then, without hesitation, without fanfare, Loki took a firm hold of his head and snapped his neck. One firm, decisive crack and it was all over. It was finally over. The monster had come a long way to die. That being said, he'd done what he set out to do. He had made his point fairly eloquently. And there was no denying it. The void in the back of his mind where she'd been only moments ago – it was a sickening notion. One that would never be entirely real.

Thor landed with a loud thump, having finally reappeared from his cliff dive. And Loki couldn't bear to look – to see what he'd returned with if anything at all. He imagined her lost to the earth, buried in the cavernous mess Rurik had made. He imagined her like he'd seen her so long ago, curled up on the floor of a cold, dark dungeon where he couldn't reach her. He stared at the blood that was slowly drying in his palm. _I failed you, Naomi._ That admission hit him so hard, tears silently boiled over and if the strength hadn't abandoned him, he would have screamed until his lungs had nothing left. _Naomi, I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry._

He could feel the penetrating ache where she'd been stabbed, where the blade had scraped ribs and punctured organs. It burned and it only got worse as the moments dragged on. _How could I have done this? How could I let this happen?_

"Loki-"

"Don't. Just don't."

"But Loki, I-"

"I don't need your sympathy or sorrow! This was my fault! I did this. I couldn't save her!"

 _I don't need you to save me._

Loki finally turned, her voice a quiet echo from across the void that had formed between them. Thor just stood there, an unmoving Naomi hanging in his arms. He was hallucinating – surely. Thor said nothing. It didn't even appear he was breathing. He just waited. Loki approached only a half step at a time, watching her with eyes blown wide. And when he was just close enough to see the subtle rise and fall of her chest, her head rolled to face him, the tiniest smile gracing her very dirtied face.

"Is it over?" she grumbled.

Loki tucked a hair behind her ear, before pressing his hand to the side of her face. "Yes, love. It's over."

It was finally over. Relief hung in the air like a long-awaited rain. Loki took Naomi into his arms and she rested comfortably there while Thor summoned the bifrost. Home had never felt closer. Not his home – not Naomi's home either. But a place they might call home once they were free of all this. And now, it was only a matter of time.

"Thank you," he said. Thor sort of craned his head as if to hear him better. "I couldn't have done this without you. I owe you."

"No, brother. I owed you." Loki glanced up and saw far more sincerity than he expected. "I would never expect your forgiveness for my part in what happened in the dungeons, but I have done my best to earn it. And when we return, when father is well again, I promise we will secure your freedom. Whatever it takes."

"I do forgive you," he admitted after a long moment. Thor just smothered his grin and busied himself with something else. "Naomi however, she's as stubborn as they come." They both almost managed a laugh.

There was a brief moment of warning before the bifrost burned to life around them, marking the earth with tribal knots. And mere moments later they'd crossed the universe, touching down once more in Asgard's golden observatory. Thor was already plotting celebratory affairs for the days to follow once Naomi was properly taken care of. Loki just rolled his eyes.

But Heimdall's tone silenced any thoughts of celebration. "My princes, I have grave news." The two of them stilled for the worst. Even Naomi stirred from her state of semi-unconsciousness.

"The Allfather is dead."

* * *

I'm so sorry for the wait guys! I literally had to work on this giant dragon commission every freaking day for over a month! While the dragon did turn out awesome, it really stunk to get so behind with this. But it's finally done! Sorry again! Two more chapters left! Or maybe more like one and half? Depends on how long the epilogue chapter is! But as far as horrible cliff hangers and crazy action is concerned, it's over! Time for fluff and stuff. Always a fav! Oh and Odin is dead lol Since Cellmates finished, I was thoroughly amused with how many death threats Odin received in the reviews and comments lol Well fret not, he's finally gone. It may not have been the gruesome ending he may have earned after everything he did to Naomi and Loki but dead is dead. The last few chapters are on the way. Probably not next week, but definitely sooner than this last one. Again, my bad! But if you wanna see what I was working on (yes, I have proof lol) there's tons of work in progress photos on my instagram simplyrachaelart

Thanks for your patience everyone! See you soon and happy reading! Oh and Infinity War comes out on dvd soon! Prepare to die inside all over again. I'm annoyed cuz the digital download is available now but i want the physical box... call me old fashioned. So now I keep seeing bonus content spoilers. Like why can't they release it all at the same time?! Anyway. Rant over! Bye for now!


	19. Chapter 19

Naomi had never felt more relieved in her life, especially considering she had no idea where she was or how she got there. Her memory, for the moment, was scattered, but one thing above all else was perfectly clear: Rurik was dead. She hadn't seen it, but there was nothing more reassuring than seeing his body with the neck twisted all the way around. It was over. It was finally over. Of course, with that memory reestablished, the rest of it started to come back.

She expected her next movement to be jarring. Last she knew, she had a broken leg only partially healed and a very large stab wound through her midsection that she'd probably only survived by force of will alone. But when she shifted to look at her surroundings, she didn't feel it. The lights of the room where dimmed and warming. If there were any windows, they were completely covered so that no natural light seeped in. It felt like night, but she couldn't be sure. She was lying on firm cushions and the ceiling seemed closer than it would've been if she were lying on a bed.

She ran a hand across her abdomen, carefully searching for the wound she thought she'd find. But she didn't find it. She could barely even find a scar. She sat up almost halfway with no pain at all; until the sudden change in altitude made her head spin.

"Take is slow." Things were a bit foggy right now, but Naomi immediately recognized her voice. Loki's mother was really the only other person on this planet she knew. Her hands were suddenly guiding her shoulders until she was finally upright enough to slouch forward. Her muscles were taught like she'd been asleep for at least a whole day. So she just hung forward and enjoyed the stretch. It gave her time to stare at her previously broken leg. Even the bruises were gone.

"Did you heal me?"

"Yes. I worked on some older injuries as well. You are far too young to have endured so much physical pain. But it has made you very strong."

"Thanks."

"I see Loki has shared some of his gifts with you."

"Some of them. It's a bit of a learning curve." Naomi had almost forgotten. After she'd been stabbed everything sort of went silent between them. But when she looked in on him this time, she found his quiet reassurance – his meticulous train of thought right where it should be. "Magic really messes with my head," she said with a small laugh.

"You have a natural affinity for it," Frigga said. She busied herself double checking some of the wounds she'd repaired. "No matter how strong the connection he created, not everyone can harness sei∂r so easily. You managed to temporarily heal yourself having never done so before. It saved your life. And you did it on your own."

"Not really on my own – I just borrowed from him. Didn't I?"

"It's difficult to say for sure, but it appears that the blade Rurik stabbed you with severed you and Loki's connection, for a short time, at least. He either believed that would be enough to kill you or make him believe that you were already dead. Either way, you kept yourself alive."

Naomi mulled it over a moment, but her brain was too fried to form any real opinion of that. "I guess I'm getting really good at not dying."

Frigga chuckled. "That's one way to put it."

Naomi pulled herself to the edge of the table she'd been sitting on, letting her legs dangle before she stretched her back in the other direction. "Where's Loki?"

"He's assisting with the funeral preparations, but he'll be along shortly."

She'd completely forgotten, but she'd bet that had something to do with her source-less feeling of relief. Odin was dead. The monster that had started this whole mess was finally gone. "I'm sorry for your loss," she offered quietly. Her sympathy was genuine, but Frigga would know better. All the same, she just smiled.

"Thank you, Naomi. I never approved nor will I ever condone what he did to you or to my son, but he is still my husband. Your relief is well justified."

Naomi nodded, more than thankful for that. "So what happens, now that he's gone? What happens to Loki, I mean."

Frigga finished what she was doing, meeting Naomi's worried gaze. "Loki earned his freedom before today and he will be free." Naomi was sure that a visible weight was lifted from her shoulders. _Free. Finally free._ "As queen, I could formally release him, but he and Thor discussed it at length. After his coronation, Thor will make a statement for the whole realm, absolving him of his crimes. After that, you are free to do whatever you would like. And if I know my son, it will be a long time before we see either of you. But a visit on holidays would be appreciated."

Naomi couldn't help but smile. In her wildest dreams, she'd imagined things like holidays together and the freedom to avoid them if they wanted. It felt so real now she could scarcely believe it. Smitten was one word for how she felt right then, but she'd never admit that was the best word to describe it.

"Loki set out some clothes for you for tonight. Whenever you're ready I can help you dress."

Naomi carefully hopped down from her perch and tested the waters of standing. "I keep forgetting you guys wear the kind of attire that requires assistance."

Frigga laughed. "You'll get used to it."

Maybe. Or maybe Loki would learn to love t-shirts and sweatpants.

.

It was rather relaxing, the entire process of getting ready. Or maybe it was Frigga's oddly pleasing aura. She was motherly without being overbearing. And it was so nice to just talk to her about things she'd wondered for the longest time. She heard stories from when Loki was little. She talked about the battles Loki had won while he was away from her. She even showed her a few little magic tricks. And by the end of it, Frigga had dressed her head to toe in a beautiful gown that Loki had chosen for her. It was mostly black with a leather-like finish, but it was adorned with golden armor across the chest that matched adornments all over the rest of the dress. If she ever made plans to go into battle wearing a dress, this would definitely be the one.

Frigga even went the extra mile and fixed up her hair and did her makeup. She hadn't bothered worrying about either in quite some time. She was far too busy being blown up and having panic attacks. _You know. Normal stuff like that._ But the final look actually made her want to make the effort going forward.

When she finally looked in the mirror, she didn't see the scars. She didn't see the trauma that had brought her to this moment. She finally saw what she hoped to see when she looked into a mirror: herself. No demons looming just behind her. No paranoid panic or insecurity. She stood alone, thanking every star that she made it here. It was finally over.

"You look beautiful."

Naomi smiled. "Thank you."

Across the room, the door opened and slammed shut shortly afterward. Loki emerged from the shadows at a brisk walk, but he looked like he'd run most of the way here. He was in some of the more formal attire she'd seen him wear, but it was a funeral after all. He stared at her for the longest time before he finally refocused and looked to his mother.

"My apologies for interrupting, mother. But Thor is looking for you."

"No need to apologize. We're all done here." Frigga stood and went to meet him, embracing him briefly and pecking him on the cheek. "Goodnight, Naomi."

"Goodnight."

Frigga took her leave and Loki wasted no time in smothering Naomi with a long overdue embrace. She'd been in no condition to be hugged with a bleeding stab wound through her midsection, but to rest her head against his chest held her over until now. "You're all right?" he asked when he gave her room to breathe.

She nodded. "I'm all right."

"I'm so sorry – for everything."

"We all make enemies, but you're not responsible for what they do. Not completely anyway," she added with a grin and a jab. "I'm all fixed up now. And you're here – we're here."

"We are. Did my mother tell you anything?"

Naomi nodded. "She told me you're free now."

Loki could hardly contain his smile. She could practically see all of his plans spilling out at the seams. They had waited far too long for this. "We'll stay here for a week or two so that I can be here for Thor's coronation, but after that, I will take you anywhere you'd like to go."

"Anywhere in the world?"

"Anywhere in the universe."

Now wasn't that an overwhelming thought? She'd considered it, but on more of a theoretical level. The only conception she had of worlds outside of her own were Loki's planet, a planet of blue Lokis and the horrible things she'd seen in various alien movies. And that was it.

"And what about tonight?" Loki would have read her apprehensions about this evening even without their bond. The short time she'd spent on this planet was not in the company of others and when it was, it was bad. Plain and simple. But Loki just offered her a gentle smile and took her hand in his.

"Let's take a walk."

It wasn't what she expected. Not exactly. For the first few long halls they walked, she assumed Loki was taking her to the funeral, but offering her the comfort of the road less traveled to get there. They walked hallways where they saw only a few other people in passing, guards and staff. They offered Loki a half-bow in passing and they hurried on their way again. _It looks like Loki's status has already been reinstated._

"They fear me more than they respect me," Loki offered.

"I don't know. I feel like that's not a half-bad alternative."

Loki chuckled. "Darling, if they saw what you did today, you'd have earned both from any warrior in this realm or the next." Naomi shrugged, but she could feel a light blush rise in her cheeks. "You'll have to show me some of those maneuvers."

"Those _maneuvers_ are a bit dirty for you aren't they? You are royalty after all," she chided, tipped her nose up a little higher.

"Not hardly. Although I'm more than certain I couldn't make those moves look nearly as graceful as you."

"Oh please. I flail."

"Then you didn't see what I saw."

"Well obviously I didn't – I was a little preoccupied."

Loki leaned down and kissed her all of the sudden, her words cut off against his lips. If they hadn't been walked so close to the wall, she would have lost her footing for sure. She stumbled and he pressed her back to the wall before she could redirect his attack. His hands braced her hips against the cold stone and his mouth held hers, the back of her head brushing the wall. The curls his mother had done for her would be ruined before long.

The soft push and pull was intoxicating and a half an hour could have easily passed without their notice. It felt too good to pull away, even to breathe. But after a long while, once their lips were raw and their skin had flushed, things began to cool down. It was tiny pecks for a while as they rested against each other's foreheads, breathing the air of each other. In all the madness that had transpired over the course of today alone, she had forgotten had badly she had needed this. To spend this much time in one day with him and not actually get to touch him – it was torment.

 _I'd have you right here if I could._ Loki's tone through their bond was downright chilling.

 _I'd have had you already if we weren't on our way to a funeral._ She could feel Loki's brow furrow against hers with his sudden restraint. Her nails dug into his sides as she fought to keep them there when she wanted so much more. But after a moment, she calmed them both down, a soothing notion drifting between them.

"We have time now."

Loki smiled and kissed her once more before standing to his full height and letting her up from the wall he'd trapped her against. "All the time in the world," he concurred.

Arm in arm they continued on their way. She had a mild flutter of anxiety when they came to the main gates of the palace where a fair amount of people had gathered. But with the next step, Loki had taken them somewhere else entirely. From one footfall to the next, they had stepped out of the harsh light of the city and into the natural starlit night. The Bifrost hummed quietly beneath their feet, the city long behind them.

"I thought we were going to the funeral?"

"I did my part," Loki said quietly. "I said my goodbye. For us, that's enough. I thought it would be better for both of us to watch from a distance."

She almost felt bad for the relief that was. Funerals were terrible by nature, but attending a funeral where you don't know anyone and where your sole interaction with the dead was to be indirectly tortured by them – well, her relief was most likely justified. "Thank you."

After they'd walked almost half the length of the Bifrost, they sat down, their legs dangling over the edge. The ocean was a rhythmic whisper beneath them, the waves breaking against the shore far behind them. It was quiet and peaceful. And for now, that was all she could ask for.

"Everything is different now," Naomi thought aloud.

"Sometimes it's better that way. It provides a unique opportunity to change the things you couldn't before – if that's what you want."

"Since I came home, I tried so hard to force things back to the way they were, but it was never the same. And on the worst days of it, all I wanted was to disappear – to start over somewhere far away. Somewhere that no one would know what happened to me or who I was before. A fresh start."

"Then we'll do it."

"You make it sound so easy."

"The universe is vast and there are many nooks and corners across it where we might find our place to hide. And no matter how long it takes, I will find it for us."

Naomi smiled and held his hand a bit tighter. Her head turned against his shoulder, her eyes following the gentle waves. "But for now, this will do." The waves cascaded like a waterfall off the edge of the world. The misty sea foam swirled against the stars that stretched on for millions of miles. This flat world of theirs would never make sense, but it sure was beautiful.

The sound of heavy metal meeting stone echoed loud across the realm, the one single thump that signified the end of an era. The end of a seemingly unending torment. It was over. Naomi looked back at the city they'd left behind as it was slowly illuminated with thousands of tiny lights. They drifted slowly up from the streets and the buildings and the palace itself, floating slowly with the current of the wind. It wasn't long before they outnumbered the stars in the night sky. The king was gone. Loki's father was gone. Her captor was finally gone. And for the first time in a very long time, she felt safe.

With Loki's arm wrapped around her, his hand in hers, she felt safe. The monsters were gone and they were finally free. The genuine relief she felt was overwhelming, to say the least.

They just sat there for the longest time, as the skies grew dark again until the last tiny light had floated beyond their sight. She could have sat there forever. After all, they had all the time in the world now. Time to sit and watch the stars burn out. Time to do nothing and one day soon to do everything and anything. Time was a funny thing after all.

"It's been a long enough day," Loki sighed after a while. "I'd say we're both overdue for some uninterrupted sleep."

They stood and Loki tucked her comfortably under his arm as they made their way back. She smiled, reminded of the only other night she'd spent in this palace. Uninterrupted sleep was probably the goal that night, as it was plenty of other nights too, but it was a goal seldom accomplished between them. She snorted when a particular memory from her place came back to her.

Loki sighed, the memories washing over him as well. "It wouldn't be an interruption if we started with that," Naomi offered.

He scooped her up with a roll of his eyes. "Right you are." And from one step to the next, they'd left the rainbow bridge far behind them.

* * *

So somehow I struggled with the last chapter for over a month and then I blew through this one in two days. I'm hoping that's a good thing lol I'm also hoping it's not riddled with dumb errors. I am just so anxious to finish this! And plus, it was mostly fluff. And I am a fond lover of the fluff. Not enough fluff in this story. But only one more chapter to go and I think it's almost done? I don't know, I really didn't have a plan for it, but I think you'll like it. Much fluff. Hopefully it's the ending everyone hoped for from the first one, it just took a little while to get here. Let me know what you think and stay tuned for one last chapter! Love you all! Happy reading!


	20. Epilogue

_Dear Evie,_

 _I'm so glad to hear that things have improved. Sounds like you're enjoying having my place all to yourself. I miss you so much, but it will be a few months more before I start missing anyone else. Although it's good to hear that Mom has gotten Gwen some real help. I know what Rurik did to me. She'll need the real kind of help. Believe me._

 _Speaking of which, I'm doing much better. Much, much better. Loki's made sure of that. We pick at my thoroughly traumatized brain more often than I'd like, but it's working. We have this bond I can't really explain, though I'm sure you'd understand it anyway – you always do. But this one is real, tangible even. Through it, I've learned more than I could have imagined these past few months. I'll be attempting to send this letter myself. Again. Yeah, the last one with only half the letters – that one was me too. Anyway. I have better hopes for this one._

 _Loki's mother says I have a natural talent for magic. Who knew, right? She even taught me a few things. One day I'll show you. I don't know how soon, but one day I will. I promise. Until then, I'm sending all my love. Loki sends his as well. I really wish you could see this place, Evie. It's a paradise many have died to find. Maybe one day I'll show you that too._

 _Take care, Evie._

 _Love always,_

 _Naomi_

"Are you going to send the whole thing this time or just the vowels and punctuation?"

Naomi glanced up, putting her pen down on the table a little more aggressively than was necessary. And then she shot Loki a challenging glare over her shoulder. As stubborn as she was, it was hard to hold an angry look on him when he was wearing so little clothes. _Bastard._ But she did a fair enough job. She'd gotten pretty good at it _if I do say so myself._ "Actually, I was hoping to send just the consonants instead. That seems like more of a challenge to me." Loki scoffed when she turned back to her work. She heard him shift beneath the sheets and she just busied herself carefully folding the letter for her sister, before sealing it and tucking it into an unmarked envelope.

She stood and she focused and she could feel Loki's eyes on her back, though she tried hard to ignore it. As she funneled a bit of his magic, she felt him. It was as reassuring as it was annoying, but irritation was a great motivator. She took the letter in her hands and performed the quick motion as she had done too many times before in practice and with a flash of sparks and a whiff of ozone, the letter disappeared. And this time her hands weren't covered in ink marks shaped like the letters left behind.

Loki smiled and she could almost swear she'd heard it. When she turned, he'd wiped his expression blank in half a second. He was just twiddling his fingers in the sheets as he probably had been for the past half an hour. She loomed closer, crawling to meet him in their bed until her face was close enough to bite his nose. They'd never play poker that was for sure. He could hold a straight face for hours on end like it was nothing at all. But when she kissed him his stoic expression melted into something far more likable. Something malleable and soft. Something sweet and solely hers.

"I think you owe me an apology," she said, now that she'd captured his attention.

"Oh do I?"

"Admit it, I've impressed you."

"Now that's an admission I can offer without hesitation." He shifted when she suddenly straddled his waist. "You never cease to impress me, my precious mortal."

"Hmm. That isn't quite right anymore, is it?"

They hadn't noticed it at first, but in the months that had passed since Rurik's demise, she was different. The bond between them did so much more than Loki had thought. He decided one night that her natural affinity for magic allowed her to share in his longevity. Frigga said that it wasn't unheard of, but not common by any means. Naomi, however, didn't bother asking questions. She took the gift for what it was. And she didn't let Loki forget how level the playing field had become.

She pressed hard against his shoulders, bearing down with her hips and nibbling at his neck. "What will you call me now?"

Loki grinned, tousling her hair and drawing his thumb across her lip. "I'm sure I could think of a few things." She cut him off with another long push of her hips. "Maybe more than a few."

She giggled and then grabbed him roughly by the chin. "You better hope I like them."

"And what will you do if they are not to your liking? _My little minx._ "

Naomi just smiled and then hopped off his lap and sauntered away. It was beyond him to ignore her for the sake of winning an argument. He loved the chase too much. But caught or not, _I won_.

She barreled for the door as fast as she could run, fortunately for her, the sheets would have slowed him down even if he'd tried to teleport after her instead. Her bare feet met grass with only the slightest stumble and she was off again, the door still flung open behind her. When she didn't hear him through the door right behind her, she thought maybe she'd get further than she thought. But then he appeared as always and tackled her to the ground. If the hill had been any steeper, they'd have rolled all the way to the bottom.

"You got a whole three inches further than last time. Another futile escape attempt thwarted."

"I'm free. Why in the world would I need to escape?" Loki just shrugged. "Maybe I just wanted to get you outside without pants on." But of course, his pants had magically appeared at some point. What a pair. Him without a shirt and her without pants.

Loki had described it as ironic the first time they'd come to this place when she went strolling outside wearing absolutely nothing. She'd spent a very long time in a cell with no one to see her but him and she refused to come out of the shower even half clothed when she had a choice. But there wasn't a single soul to see them up here. Literally, not even one.

As far as Loki knew, this world only had one civilized city and it was on the other side of the planet. And the terrain between here and there was beyond difficult to traverse. But Loki simply dropped them on the top of this mountain paradise and here they were, all these months later.

From the hillside their little home now occupied, you could see everything. All the way down the mountain. The trees that speckled the landscape were every shade of warm colors you could think of and they were all gently tousled by the breeze. The air smelled like autumn did on earth. The days and nights were longer and it was all the more time to take it all in. They couldn't have found a better sanctuary.

Naomi didn't know where they were in space, only that it had taken a while to find it. And that it was far away from anyone and everyone that would know who they were. And her only connection to the people she'd left behind on earth was a magical connection to her old mailbox. It was enough for now. The space was more than welcome after everything that had happened.

Loki adjusted to sit behind her and he just let her stare like he always did, no doubt following her train of thought. She really did love it here. It was everything – everything she'd hoped for when Loki had told her so long ago that he would see her again after they escaped. Everything and more.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"Don't you already know?" she said quietly, her gaze still centered somewhere far away in the trees.

"I'd rather hear it from you."

She thought for a long moment, allowing the words to come back to her. "For a long time, I didn't know what it meant to be safe – to feel at home and protected. My own house became a prison. Even my mind didn't feel like my own. A place like this had never seemed so far away." Loki leaned closer as if to comfort her. "But we made it. We finally made it."

"We did," Loki returned, bringing her to face him. "And for the rest of our lives, I will endeavor to keep you safe. I promise." Naomi pressed her forehead to his. Loki had made a lot of promises since she'd known him and while some of them went slightly neglected through the shit-storm that blew through a few months ago, this one she believed whole-heartedly. "Let's go inside."

She sat for a moment longer after Loki stood up. Millions of miles from the world she'd grown up on and somehow she found peace. It was almost ironic, to go so far to find a place to call home. _Our home._ Loki's voice was a soft echo in the back of her mind.

Naomi smiled, finally getting to her feet and taking Loki's outstretched hand. In the year that had passed since she was abducted from the place she once called home, she had come to realize that four walls would never make the home she'd spent her entire life searching for. Four walls, be it a house or a cell, were only a box in which to live. Home was her hand in Loki's. It was his loving gaze that lingered just long enough for her to catch a glimpse. It was his soft touch, his calming voice, his words of pure adoration. It was waking up beside him early in the morning or long into the afternoon. It was the unspoken gestures that said more than words ever could. It was a quiet _I love you_ when words did suffice. It was everything. He was home. And without a doubt, the only one she would ever need.

When she looked back, Loki's eyes told her he'd seen. She could feel his mind in the back of hers and he offered her a soft, reassuring smile. "Have I told you I loved you today?"

"Feel free to tell me again," she offered with a grin.

"I love you, Naomi, with the whole of my heart and soul _forever_. And not a single moment less."

He tucked her under his arm, continuing to whisper into the gentle curls of her hair as they walked back towards the house.

 _Yeah. Things might just be all right after all._

* * *

I am so sorry this took so long! I rewrote this ending many times and it just didn't feel right, but I have finally reached something I am happy with. It is so long overdue and I'd like to thank everyone very much for their patience and continued comments and support. That being said, we're finally here! I sincerely hope this is the ending everyone has waited for all this time. I thank you so much for sticking with me through my many hiatuses (is that a word?) to the happy ending. For me it was always more about the journey than the ending. The ups and downs were so much fun (sounds slightly sadistic but i mean well lol) but I will admit this ending is satisfying. It's definitely bittersweet too. Not sure what I'll be writing next or when, but while I take long periods off I never completely stop. This fanfiction account is pretty much reserved for my long fics, but for those of you who do not know I also have an ao3 account under the same name that has lots of other fun stuff (and by fun i mean nsfw lol). I post a lot of short stories of the smutty variety on there, as well as other random things here and there. So if you'd like to peruse my other weird writings please feel free! Thank you all so much for your support through this entire process! All my love!


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